A Year to Remember
by Copper Moon
Summary: While out recruiting for SOLDIER at the Gold Saucer, Reno and Rude find a girl with pale hair and strange eyes. After seeing her skills in a tournament, they decide to bring her to Shinra as a candidate for the Turks. Becoming a Turk is her greatest dream. But does she have what it takes to make it? Takes place before Before Crisis and around Crisis Core. Eventual Reno/OC
1. New Year Prize

CM: Yes, we've finally decided to put up a FF7 fic. We've been wanting to for the longest time now, and its finally a happening. As always we will do our best to keep the characters in character. This story will focus mostly on bringing in BC characters and such, so it takes place a year before the start of BC. So get ready, get set for...

**A YEAR TO REMEMBER**

Disclaimer: We do not own ff7 or any of its characters.

**Chapter 1: New Year Prize**

It was the New Year, and around the globe people were celebrating, each in their own individual way. Many towns held festivals and many families had parties. There were also a handful of people who drank themselves into such a state they could no longer aim the alcohol into their own mouths. Reno wished he was one of those people. Instead, he and his partner Rude had been sent out on an assignment, holiday be damned. It wasn't as though Reno couldn't get drunk off his ass any time, but it was the nuances of it all.

So rather than sitting in a bar inebriating themselves, they were sitting in the shuttle car which would take them to the Golden Saucer. The amusement park was holding a grand celebration of its own; Drinks, fireworks, the whole shebang. And they wouldn't even get the opportunity to enjoy any of it.

The journey to the Saucer was silent and dull. What made things worse was the knowledge that on their arrival, they would be in the center of this huge celebration and would not even be able to enjoy one bit of it.

"Welcome traveler! Enjoy the festivities and be sure to make it to our annual battle tournament," the Greeting Chocobo exclaimed when the two exited the train. "We have a special guest this year that is our undefeated champion. You don't want to miss that battle."

Reno's lips turned up and he cocked an eyebrow at his partner. "No… don't figure we would."

This gave Rude reason for concern. Whenever the red head got that smile, it usually meant that his mind was plotting something to "shake things up". The two of them went to the ticket booth and flashed their lifetime passes before entering the park. There were kids running amuck all over the place, many without their parents who were probably off doing their own celebrating.

It was noisy and several times they were forced to move out of the way as a group of munchkins went barreling past. "Now I know why I don't come here on holidays," Reno muttered. "Turns into a freakin' daycare center."

Rude nodded in silent agreement. "Where do you want to start looking?"

"What? Didn't you here the fat chocobo out front?" Reno asked heading towards the tunnel that read: BATTLE ARENA. "We don't wanna miss the undefeated champion of the year."

"Do you really think this person is SOLDIER material?" Rude asked as he followed him into arena.

"Who knows," Reno said with a shrug. "Either way, it should be an entertaining way to search for new recruits. What better way to know if there are any powerful people present than to see them in battle?"

The battle arena was packed with spectators, and the two Turks had to squeeze their way through the crowd. They managed to find a decent viewing point close by the edge of the dungeon-like battle ring. Several members of the crowd were holding cups of alcohol and shouting for the tournament to start.

When the announcer came out, the crowd went into an uproar. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Golden Saucer's New Year Tournament! Tonight our best fighters will be putting on a show that will knock you out of your seats!"

"And if that won't do it the drinking sure as hell will," Reno commented.

"No," Rude stated suddenly.

"What?"

"We're on a job," Rude explained. "You will not be participating in the drinking."

Reno scowled, crossed his arms and childishly slumped his shoulders. Rude merely shook his head at the red head's antics.

The announcer introduced a large many with glistening oil black skin wearing nothing but shoes and a pair of tight shorts. A large griffon was released into the ring and the fight began. As Reno and Rude observed the introduced fighters, there were some that were exceptional, and then others that were just average. After having participated in several SOLDIER scouting missions, very little seemed to impress them anymore, and both knew that only a handful of the candidates they brought back would have a shot of making SOLDIER anyways. Halfway through the tournament, Rude lost sight of Reno for a few minutes. During which time the announcer took the stage once more.

"Alright folks! Now that you've seen our fighters in action, its time to pit them against one another to see who will be the one to face our reigning champ!"

A new wave of shouts and cheers shook the room. Rude was beginning to feel a headache coming on.

"Hey, big guy, you look like you could use a drink." Reno had returned, holding a cup of beer in each hand. "Taste like crap but, ya know, can't be choosy in a place like this."

"I told you no alcohol," Rude muttered.

"Lighten up," Reno said sitting down and handing his friend the other beer. "Even you have to admit you need a drink in this place."

Rude grudgingly tried a sip of the beverage. The moment it hit his taste buds he immediately agreed with Reno that it indeed tasted like crap.

"Oh, and I already had a quick word with the host of the tournament so all the lucky losers will be shown to where they need to go," Reno told his partner, grinning at his own job well done. "Course they'll probably put up a fight at first, always do." Rather than sound troubled by this he looked eager. They continued watching the fighters trade blows with one another, and one by one the participants fell. Reno had finished his beer and Rude, not keen on finishing his, didn't put up a fight when Reno stole his cup while he amused himself by heckling the fighters.

At last, it had been narrowed down to one fighter. A behemoth of a man who looked as though he'd been popping growth pills since he started walking. Again, Reno and Rude weren't terribly impressed. Granted he knew how to fight and he definitely wasn't slow physically or mentally. However, he hadn't won his fights through technique or strategy, but by brute force and nothing else.

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" the announcer said in a very excited voice. "The final fight of the night. Bruno, the last fighter standing goes against our reigning and undefeated champion, Aven!"

The crowd roared to life louder than it had all night. Chants were heard scattered around the arena and Reno leaned forward in his seat so as not to miss the champion's entrance. Moments later, the door opposite of the behemoth opened and the red headed Turk erupted into laughter as the champion made their way to the center of the ring.

The champion was actually a girl in her early-mid teens with a scrawny build and shoulder length pearl white hair that was gently curled. Her eyes shone in the somewhat dim light of the arena with excitement and devoid of fear. In comparison to the behemoth in front of her, she appeared to be a tiny girl facing a giant. She girl appeared calm as she spoke a few words to her opponent which were drowned out by the crowd.

"Now this I gotta see," Reno stated, and for the first time during the whole tournament he was taking an actual interest. Rude felt the same. Either this whole thing was a farce, or this girl had a true reason for being the Battle Arena's standing champion.

The girl reached to her hip and grabbed what was presumably her weapon, neither of the Turks could tell because she was holding both hands together.

"Say goodbye to your reign as champ, little girl!" Bruno exclaimed flexing both his hands that were large enough to engulf the girl's head.

The fight began and Bruno lumbered towards the girl at a terrifying speed for one of his size. The girl just stood waiting, then… within two seconds there was a blur of white, a flash of silver and Bruno was suddenly stumbling around howling in pain and covering his left eye with his hand as blood spilt onto the ground.

Meanwhile Aven stood off in one of the corners holding in her hands the length of a chain whip with a pointed dart at the end.

It took a moment for Bruno to regain his bearings and quickly spun around to face her again. "You little..." he threatened holding his hands at the ready as blood continued to fall to the stone floor. "You're dead!" He rushed forward once more as the girl leapt into the air and effortlessly sailed right over his head. As she righted herself for her landing, she flicked her whip, catching the man's ankle and pulling his foot right out from under him.

He landed face down on the ground heavily with a large thump and Aven easily walked onto his back, whip in hand. She then proceeded to wrap it around his throat and pulled it tight. The behemoth flailed and kicked trying to knock her off as well as grab a hold of the item cutting off his air. About a minute later, however, the flailing stopped and the champion removed her weapon and stepped off her opponent.

The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles as raindrops of beer showered down over the heads of the spectators. "Well, well, looks like it wasn't a hoax after all," Reno commented with a small laugh.

As people rushed out to drag Bruno's inert body away the announcer strolled in and held up Aven's hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, our champion! With deadly whip skills that can tame the most ferocious beast, is there anyone who can stand against her?"

"Yeah!" Several men from the crowd erupted as they started storming the ring.

"Alright, anyone who wishes to challenge our champ will have to attempt to land one good hit using any means you can think of while she will refrain from any weapon use," the announcer shouted into the crowd. "Any who manage to accomplish this challenge will earn 100,000 gil. Those who wish to challenge her please form a line into the ring and await your turn. Believe me you'll all get the chance."

Aven had already wounded up her weapon and put it away. Now she stood waiting for the first challenger. The first person to step up was a blonde guy who was muscular but nowhere near as big as the hulk she had faced second before. When the announcer called start, the man rushed at her. She easily dodged away. When he tried faking her out, she saw through it and dodged once more. This happened several times until he cornered her against the wall, and just when he thought he had her, she grabbed his arm and used his momentum to smash his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

When the next person tried, a husky looking woman, it was the same result, with Aven dancing out of her opponents reach, then using their own power against them. Reno and Rude both watched with growing intrigue. What the girl lacked in physical strength, she made up for in her evasiveness and ability to read her opponents.

The next opponent pulled out a blade and it was clear he knew how to use it. Aven's expression didn't change, however, and after a few missed swings she stepped to the side of a near miss, grabbed the wrist holding the blade and pulled him forward while aiming a kick at his legs. He landed heavily on the ground and was declared defeated.

After that display of skill, the other contenders began looking very apprehensive and took several steps back.

"Come on, it's just a single hit you have to manage," the announcer said trying to get the people excited again. "It's 100,000 gil. Will no one else take the challenge?"

Rude turned his head the slightest to the red head sitting beside him. "Another SOLDIER candidate?"

"Hell no," Reno replied, his blue-green eyes dancing with jubilation. "I got an even better idea." Reno stood up draining the rest of the beer cup and pushing through the crowd where he literally flew out of the stands and landed as nimble as a cat into the ring.

The crowd's cheers steadily turned into a buzz of anticipation as Reno straightened up and bore a lazy grin. "I'd like to try my luck."

Rude felt like hitting his own forehead in exasperation. He made a mental note to himself to request from Tseng a leash for the younger Turk. This thought was immediately discarded however, because Rude knew there wasn't a leash in existence that could hold Reno.

The announcer eagerly went with it, throwing up his hands. "We have a challenger!"

Aven smiled at the newcomer with excitement dancing in her roaming eyes. It was clear to Reno that she was simply sizing him up before the match.

"Ready, Aven?" The girl nodded and for the first time took on a more guarded stance.

"Are you ready, challenger?"

"Not yet, let her have her weapon," he replied smugly. "She'll need it."

"Wow, the challenger actually wants her to use her whip. Should we allow it this time?" the announcer asked the crowd. The roar of excitement was a clear answer and Aven unhooked her whip preparing for her final match.

Aven stood waiting, but much to her surprise, the new competitor didn't make a move. "Aren't you going to come at me?"

"Nah, I'll be a gentleman and let the lady go first," Reno replied.

A flicker of wariness passed through the female champion's eyes, but she gave a small shrug and conceded to his bout of "chivalry". Her arm moved, and the whip lashed out quicker than a serpent strike. Reno twirled out of the way, avoiding the cutting path of the whip. Aven looked for a split second surprised but quickly recovered and began spinning the whip, snapping it and lashing it at the red head. Reno hopped, skipped, and dodged around each strike.

Aven began to get a little frustrated and made for a horizontal slash with the whip. Reno ducked, rolled, and by the time he was on his feet, his EMR was in his hand and fully extended. He smiled. Good, she was beginning to get impatient.

Aven's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched his movements cautiously and pulled her whip in tightly at her side. The two fighters slowly walked in a circle, not taking their eyes off each other. Then all at once, Aven's whip shot out at Reno with only the smallest amount of movement on her part. It flew through the air faster than before, but once again Reno easily sidestepped it and then ducked the backlash of the attack without turning to see it. Aven was beginning to get agitated that she wasn't able to land a single hit and was contemplating pulling out her ace in her sleeve.

Rude saw that Reno was doing what he did best, drawing out his opponent. The girl didn't even seem to realize she was falling prey to her own game. The crowd all around was cheering for their favorite fighter as the two continued to jump and dance around the ring. Then, there was a flash of blue and Reno's legs were stuck to the floor. Even in such a predicament he was able to turn his head just in time as the point of the whip lashed out and swiped his cheek, drawing blood.

Reno, rather than feeling abashed, only felt further invigorated. So that's how it was going to be, huh? Well then…

The white haired girl didn't even ask Reno if he wanted to forfeit, she already knew the answer. He still believed he stood a chance. She'd end it quickly, and without too much damage. She drew her arm up and struck out with her weapon.

Reno was ready and at the last second his own weapon came up. There was a flash of electricity and Aven was thrown backwards landing hard on the stone floor, the arm that had held the whip was now weaponless and twitched involuntarily.

The crowd went momentarily silent as they saw their champion fall. Then, a single person started clapping which led to a enormous roar as people starting chanting Aven. Slowly, she got to her feet and forced her shocked hand to stop twitching while she faced her opponent once more.

"Heh, looks like you got me that time," she said her smile back in place. "You're really good. I didn't even see that one coming."

By this time, Reno had freed his legs and was now shouldering his weapon. "I could say the same," he replied, wiping at the bleeding cut with his thumb. "What are you even doing wasting your time here?"

Aven stared at him, puzzled by his inquiry. "How is it a waste?"

"Because here you're just showcasing yourself to a bunch of drunken spectators when you could be doing so much more." He shook his head despondently as if it was the saddest thing in the world. Meanwhile, the crowd was yelling for the fight to continue. The girl's thoughtful eyes roamed the battle arena, but returned to the red head when he spoke once more. "And the moment someone stronger comes along, that'll be it for you."

"Maybe," Aven agreed with a shrug, retrieving the fallen whip. "Then I'll move on to the next place. I never expected to be here for the remainder of my days." She brandished her weapon once more. "I'm sorry but, you're going to have to leave this ring, conscious or not."

"Heh, my thoughts exactly," Reno said, and as she moved towards him, he drew a triangle in the air and gave a small flick of his wrist. Aven recoiled as her head smacked into something solid.

"A barrier...what are you doing?" she demanded looking all around at the prism surrounding her. Her smile was completely gone now and she no longer held a pleasant demeanor. "Hey, I go where I want and do what I want. I don't take orders from anyone...now drop this shield already."

Reno simply laughed. "Come on, you're the champ, aren't ya? Break yourself out."

Aven tried hitting and kicking the walls of the pyramid, but she might have blown on it for all the good it did.

"Hey, ref, I think this match is over," Reno said looking over at the announcer. "But instead of the money, how about I take HER off your hands?"

"B-but she's our biggest draw right now," the announcer stuttered. "I don't think..."

"Go ahead," a burly man stated heading into the arena.

"D-Dio. H-he's attempting to take away our reigning champ," the announcer explained worriedly.

"I know, I was watching the whole thing," Dio replied with a smile. "The kid did a good enough job. She really raised the bar on the competitors so we'll be able to find a replacement well enough. Besides, these guys are from Shinra and frankly I really don't want them breathing down my neck.

"Hey, thanks, pal," Reno said with a grin before turning to the captured girl. "Ya hear that? You're my prize."

Aven scowled at him and she looked as though she was trying to set the Turk's head on fire through sheer force of will.

By this time Rude had eased his way through the squirming crowd and into the ring to join his partner. He had guessed Reno's intentions from the moment the brat jumped in to fight. It wasn't as though Rude disagreed with Reno's assessment but, they could have just as easily approached the girl after the tournament was over.

Rude however knew if he told his partner as much, the red head would laugh and say, "But then it wouldn't have been as much fun."

"Dio...come on, you can't let them just take me like this," Aven shouted. "Using a barrier is a cheap move since it can only be broken from the outside," she grumbled.

"It doesn't matter," Dio retorted. "You've done good work here...but your work is done. Enjoy Shinra."

"Rgh! Just who do you people think you are?" Aven demanded towards Reno and Rude.

They looked at each other, Reno wearing a smirk while Rude's face gave nothing away. The bald headed Turk drew back his fist and punched the pyramid causing it to shatter to pieces and disappear.

It was then Reno simply replied, "We're the Turks."

Aven's eyes widened in recognition, the anger and indignation all but vanishing. "You two are… you're really from the Turks?"

"Strange, most people get frightened or even more upset when they hear it's us," Reno thought curiously.

Aven laughed. "You should have said something to begin with, I would have said yes in a heartbeat."

Once more, the pair of Turks exchanged glances only this time Rude was frowning at Reno who appeared almost sheepish.

"So," Aven said glancing back and forth between the two of them. "When do I get to start?"

* * *

CM: Haha, well wasn't that fun? So that was our first chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it and that you'll be sticking around. :D


	2. Awkward Intros

**Chapter 2: Awkward Intros**

When Tseng received a call at around one in the morning, he had expected to be told that Reno and Rude had completed their task and were returning to Midgar. He had not expected them to tell him that a special extra person was coming along. After requesting a picture of the person in question he couldn't help but be intrigued. It had been a while since they'd had any willing applicants and a female at that. He immediately went to talk the matter over with his superior who, like him, was still up and working regardless of the late hour. After knocking and being invited in, Tseng stepped into the office of his boss.

"Commander Veld," Tseng spoke to the man sitting at his desk. " Reno and Rude are on their way back from Gold Saucer. And they're bringing..."

"Yes, I'm aware," Veld kindly cut him off. "Rude informed me of the details."

"I see," Tseng acknowledged with a nod. "Do you think she'll pass the tests?"

"It's not my place to determine such a matter without seeing her strengths first hand," Veld replied calmly. "However, there's a special light in her eyes that tells me she'll do just fine."

"What shall we do with the visitor once she gets here?" It was more a question of if they should put her through the test straight away or wait until a more convenient time.

"We'll test her of course," Veld replied. "I'm sure she's more eager to prove herself than we are to see her performance. You will be in charge of the testing...though I will take a moment to watch."

"Yes, sir," Tseng said with a bow.

* * *

The trip back to Midgar was definitely an interesting one. If there was one thing Reno and Rude could assess from the helicopter ride alone, it was that Aven quite possibly had some form of restless leg syndrome. From the moment the helicopter took off, she could not sit still.

"Hmm...so, how much longer is this trip going to take?" she asked bouncing in her seat. "I'm so bored."

"It takes at least several hours," Reno explained. "It's only been 10 minutes."

"Mmm...well, maybe we can play a game to pass the time or something," she suggested while still fidgeting.

"You might think about getting some rest," Reno told her. "We won't be there until morning and you'll probably be thrown straight into the interviewing process."

"I'm too excited to sleep now," Aven protested, yet in spite of herself she gave a small yawn.

"Sleep, you need it," Rude stated.

"Awe, you guys are no fun," she muttered folding her arms while her tired eyelids twitched. "I won't sleep until I've passed."

A few minutes later, she was out like a light. Next thing Aven knew, she was being poked awake.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Reno said poking her cheek. "We're here."

She rubbed her eyes and shook her head in order to make herself more alert. Her eyes scanned the area and noticed that the chopper was turned off and a certain annoying red head was leaning over her from the doorway. For a split second she was sure she saw a flicker of surprise cross over his face as her eyes met his. It was gone moments later though so she didn't worry about it. Once out of the flying metal contraption, she followed Reno and Rude down the hallways of the building. They took her to an elevator that was all glass and allowed her to view the city outside.

"It's so big," staring out in to the city which was glowing red from the morning sun. "Well, it is the capital," Reno pointed out. "What did you expect?"

"I dunno...other than the Gold Saucer I've never seen a place this big," she replied in awe. "Hey, can we tour around it a bit? Maybe see the sights or see what it looks like from the very top?"

"You have your examination first remember? I thought you were really looking forward to that."

"I am...but I just wanted to know if we could do this too," she explained feeling very torn.

"Tell you what, kid, if ya pass with flying colors, we'll take you wherever you want," Reno promised.

"Then I have nothing to worry about," Aven said grinning.

"Confident," Rude murmured.

"Well...this is what I've wanted for years," she stated simply. "I'm going to pass simple as that."

The elevator reached its designated floor and the three exited into the hall. This floor had several offices and they stopped in front of one. Without knocking Reno threw open the door and strolled right in.

"Hey, Tseng! You're looking as chipper as ever."

Rude shook his head but followed inside with Aven creeping behind him. Behind a desk was a man dressed in a Turk suit with shiny black hair tied back in a neat and simple ponytail. Based on his features Aven would guess he was from Wutai.

"I haven't slept in 78 hrs, Reno , but thank you," Tseng replied before glancing up at the new girl.

She was staring at him in a strange manner. Tseng got to his feet and focused his attention on her. He paused for quite a while, looking her over and Aven wasn't noticing anything unusual as she was staring right back. Reno and Rude both could tell the reason for his long inspection and shared a look between one another. Then finally the Wutain seemed to pull himself together and spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Y-you're really pretty," Aven replied having not registered what he said. There was a solid five seconds of silence before Reno shattered it by doubling over in laughter. Rude coughed to cover up his own amusement and Tseng's face visibly tightened a margin. Suddenly realizing she must've said something offensive, she hastily said, "I apologize. That was very rude of me. I'm Aven, pleased to meet you Mr. Tseng."

"Y-you're p-pretty...that's priceless," Reno laughed.

"Again, I'm sorry," Aven reinforced.

"It's quite alright," Tseng replied brushing it off. "I do expect a little more professionalism in the future, however."

"Yes, sir," Aven said suddenly feeling nervous.

Tseng shot Reno and Rude a glance and the two nodded in response before exiting the room shutting the door behind them. "Please sit down," Tseng stated gesturing to one of the chairs in the room. Aven silently sat trying with all her might not to bounce her legs. "Now, from what Reno and Rude have told me, you came of your own volition in order to join the Turks," Tseng began.

Aven nodded and mumbled a "yes, sir".

"I'm interested in knowing why," Tseng inquired. "But before that, are you aware of the work the Turks are involved in?"

"I know they do a lot of important work for Shinra," she answered. "They do recruiting and patrol many different areas of the world. I've also heard that they are sometimes placed as bodyguards for the president."

"I see." There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I'd like you to answer them truthfully."

"Alright," Aven said trying not to look as apprehensive as she felt. "Say you have a best friend who works with Shinra, but then you discover that friend is in fact a traitor and is passing along classified information to outsiders. What would you do?"

"Then they weren't as good a friend as I thought and I bring them in," Aven answered with confidence. "Leaks in information can lead to major chaos."

Tseng simply nodded in response and moved onto the next question. "In the middle of a press conference an assassin arrives with intent to kill the president. What do you do?"

"Stop him," Aven answered without hesitation.

"What if the assassin was a little girl?"

This time Aven faltered, caught off guard by the rather grim sounding scenario. "I'd still stop them," she finally said slowly and carefully. "It's important to keep the President safe...no matter who it is that's threatening him."

"Next, there's been an outbreak in one of the local hospitals, and you are given orders to destroy the building with everyone inside it in order to stop the disease from spreading to the rest of the city. What would you do?"

Aven swallowed dryly. "I… would do it."

"Even knowing you would have the blood of countless people on your hands?" Tseng pressed.

Aven hesitated for several moments as she attempted to formulate her answer. "I would want to find another way," she finally admitted. "I would still follow the order given. After all, if the orders aren't followed, the chain of command ends and the situation could become worse while trust is lost."

Tseng seemed satisfied with her answer. "Very well. Now I'll ask you this again, why do you wish to be a part of the Turks?"

"Hehe...well it's sort of personal," she stuttered. The expression on his face didn't change but the air around him did and she cringed inwardly. "Uh...well, I've wanted to join ever since I was rescued by a Turk when I was little."

Tseng scrutinized her for several moments before asking, "Where are you from?"

"With all due respect, sir," Aven said rigidly. "I'd rather not say any more than that I have no family, no home, and no personal attachments."

"Then allow me to ask your last name, Aven."

"Again, I apologize, but I can't answer that," she repeated.

Tseng's irritation was beginning to show on his delicate features while Aven continued to look apologetic but firm. Before Tseng could interrogate her further, there was a steady knock on the door and the door opened. "Commander Veld," Tseng sounded mildly surprised but bowed in respect to the older man.

"Tseng, I trust everything is going well," the man replied calmly. He was tall and largely built with short dark brown hair fleck with grey and a calm face hardened with years of experience.

"Mostly," he answered calm returning to his face. "She is being rather stubborn over a few topics."

"Is that so?" the commander asked looking down at her. He was surprised to find that her eyes were very wide, her mouth was open and trying to talk and she was pointing at him. Rather than take offense, Veld smiled lightly. "You seem to be doing well after all this time."

Aven looked as if she wanted to answer but her mouth would not convey the words bubbling up inside her head and she continued to stare and point. It wasn't until Tseng cleared his throat loudly causing Aven to snap out of it and she bowed. "I apologize, Mr. Veld! Please forgive me!"

Laughter could be heard from out in the hall and Reno poked his head in. "Aw please, can we keep her?" He ducked back out at the look Tseng gave him, closing the door behind him.

"I-I'm really sorry, sir," Aven repeated. "I just...I...I'm doing fine, sir."

"Good to hear," Veld said warmly. He turned to Tseng while Aven attempted to say something else but couldn't. "You don't have to worry about the background check, she's fine."

This seemed to be good enough for Tseng because he nodded before turning back to Aven. "Very well, are you ready for the examination?"

Aven nodded eagerly and stood up from her seat. "I'm ready."

* * *

The examination lasted through the whole day and by the late evening Aven was both mentally and physically exhausted. She was sure she had passed, and that she was in. As soon as it was over, she was handed a room key and sent off with Reno and Rude once more. The two Turks led her from Tseng's office after she was handed what looked like a small card with a black bar on the back. In the elevator Rude swiped a card of his own before pressing a button.

Aven's eyes were going in and out of focus as they traveled in the elevator. She could barely make out that Reno was talking the entire way and she was sure that Rude's firm grip on her shoulder was the only thing keeping her from falling over. Her body was exhausted and trying to fall asleep where she stood, but a good hard shake of her head and she regained a small semblance of control.

"So yeah, that's basically all the people you should try to avoid as long as possible," Reno finished up as the elevator opened up on their desired floor. "Trust me, newbie, you'll be a lot happier if you do."

"Right...avoid...them," Aven murmured having only really caught his last sentence. "Who were they again?"

"Wow...she's totally gone," Reno laughed as he led the way down a long hallway, Rude carefully steering Aven in the right direction. "Well, here ya are, newbie. Your new room and everything.

Aven paused and gave herself another shake before taking in the door they had stopped in front of. It was a thick cedar door, darkened with stain with a bronze number nailed to the front just above a small peephole. "Wow...this is it?" she asked placing a hand against the wood and smiling at the thought of it being her new home.

"Yep...go check out the rest of it," Reno told her with a wide grin on his face. He could tell the moment she found a place to lie down...she'd be gone.

Aven nodded slowly before grabbing the doorknob and attempting to turn it...only to find out it wouldn't budge. "Use the key," Rude said calmly. He too understood that she was so far gone, she probably wouldn't even remember making it there.

Again she nodded and pulled out the key from her pocket and put it into the keyhole beneath the doorknob and turned it. It turned easily and soon she had it opened and she stepped inside with the two partners right behind her.

Inside she saw a large room with a twin sized bed pushed up against the wall, a sink in the far corner a small dresser at the wall opposite the bed and a full length mirror on the back of the door. Everything was darkly colored, the bed spread a navy blue and the dresser a dark brown, but all in all not bad.

"So, squirt, what do you think?" Reno asked watching her eyes roam over the contents of the room.

"It's...great," she mumbled taking a few stumbling steps forward.

"You'll probably hear your results in the morning so make sure you're up nice and early," he continued Aven nodded. "But you shouldn't worry too much, Tseng'll send someone to get ya when it's time."

Aven nodded one last time before her strength finally left and she fell backwards onto the pillow. Reno laughed a bit at this amused that she couldn't manage to stay awake long enough for them to leave. Rude on the other hand, bent down next to her and removed her shoes before helping her under the covers.

"Wow...what's up with you Rude?" The bald Turk didn't answer as he grabbed the younger Turk and dragged him from the room.

"Oh come on!" Reno exclaimed half heartedly fighting back. "The newbie is asleep. I was going to welcome her properly."

"No."

"What's a little ink on the face between friends?"

"She can't defend herself."

"I know...that's what makes it perfect. Come on Rude, I'll even let you have a go with the marker."

"No."

* * *

Back at the Turk offices, a rather tired looking Tseng made his way towards Veld's office with a folder in his hands. On the label was written a single word, "Aven", signaling the contents thereof. He had just finished compiling all the data he had gathered from her examination as well as the question and answer session he'd had with her earlier. Now came the time to decide whether to add her to the group or deny it. When he reached the correct door, he rapped on it smartly and waited to be called in. Moments later the required call came and he watched his commander push some papers away as he entered.

"I assume the examination of the newest Turk recruit is finished," Veld stated, watching his second in command enter his office and take a seat. "What were the results?"

"Here are her results, sir," Tseng replied handing over the file. "She does have a lot of talent as far as fighting ability goes, however, I must stress that I do not believe she has what it takes to truly become a good Turk."

"Oh, I don't know about that," the commander said, flipping the folder open. "She certainly has the fortitude."

Tseng slowly shook his head. "Even still, I do not think it would be wise to put her on. Especially now since…"

"I never said anything about putting her on immediately," Veld interjected as he scanned over the results. "However, I do believe she has latent potential."

Tseng didn't disagree with Veld on that note. The girl's physical endurance test result were as one would have expected from a girl her age and stature: low physical strength, only decent physical defense, which she more than made up for with her flexibility, speed, and dexterity. Her successful dodging rate was roughly 90% and she was no stranger to the use of materia. She had also performed decently on the written exam, showing she'd received an education during her lifetime. However, being a Turk was more than just being able to fight or being knowledgeable.

"Even with extra training, I cannot see her being able to withstand taking the life of another human being," Tseng stated trying to make his point a little more focused. "She has this air of innocence that declares that she does not have the fortitude to commit such an act, or even watch her comrades commit it."

"I do understand why you are concerned," Veld expressed closing the folder after going through its contents. "However, I also believe you are jumping to conclusions when it comes to her fortitude. When the time comes for her to prove herself, she'll do anything she has to in order to accomplish this dream of hers."

While Tseng's facial expression didn't change, he was rather astonished at how much faith the commander seemed to be putting into this child. He couldn't even fathom what Reno had been thinking bringing her to this place.

"You're wondering why I'm so confident she'll succeed," Veld guessed with a knowing smile.

If Tseng wasn't so composed he might have flushed. He said nothing but acknowledged the statement with a short nod.

Veld leaned back in his chair, steeping his fingers. "This isn't the first time I've met this child. I had the good fortune of crossing paths with her many years ago on a mission. She knew what I was, yet she was not afraid. Even then, she'd been willing to come with me so she could be a Turk. If that resolution has carried her this far, I can only imagine where it will take her in the future." He sighed and leaned forward once more. "Take her on as a trainee. Give her a fair chance to prove herself. Then we'll know if she's capable or not."

Tseng nodded feeling curious about the possibilities himself. "Very well, sir. I will begin preparations for her training," he stated slowly getting to his feet.

"Good, tomorrow should prove rather insightful," Veld replied leaning back and signaling that he was free to leave. Tseng nodded in agreement before he left the room. After he left Veld opened the file once more and looked at the picture at the top. It was of the smiling white haired girl. "You should have stayed there...but since you've come, I will both discover and protect the truth."

* * *

CM: Yeah, she's not the most socially adept when it comes to meeting new people. :P But its just one of her many quirks. So, what is this truth Veld is speaking of? As they say, only time (and more chapters) will tell.


	3. Signs

**Chapter 3: Signs**

Aven awoke to the sounds of someone knocking. For a while she ignored it, burying her face in a pillow that smelled really nice and freshly cleaned. Weird… she couldn't remember her bed in Gold Saucer smelling so nice. Suddenly realization hit and she popped up from the bed, finding herself in an unfamiliar room on an unfamiliar bed. Right… she was in Midgar. Though she couldn't remember for the life of her what happened after her examination or where she was. The knocking persisted and she didn't think she should keep whoever it was at the door waiting any longer.

"Coming," she called.

Still feeling sleepy, she reluctantly pulled herself out of the bed and stumbled her way to the door.

She pulled it open, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "What do you want?"

She looked up to see who had been knocking and almost fell back with surprise when she saw who it was. Tseng was looking down at her with his arms crossed in front of his chest and an eyebrow raised. "Ah...one second!" she exclaimed before slamming the door shut.

Tseng stared at the closed door and blinked a few times. "Hmm, not even Reno has slammed a door in my face," he thought to himself.

On the other side of the door, Aven was scrambling around the room as fast as she could to fix her hair and make herself as presentable as possible. When she was finished she paused with a hand over the doorknob only just realizing what she'd done. She had slammed her door on the face of one of her future superiors... possibly current. Once that thought had finished careening through her mind, she slowly pulled the door open again and looked up at Tseng in a sheepish manner.

"Uh...my deepest apologies, I acted without thinking," she muttered nervously. When he said nothing, her body shifted.

He did not seem very affronted, almost as though he was used to similar disrespect. "Something which seems to be habitual for you."

"I'll work on it," she promised. Then, being unable to wait any longer she asked, "So… does this mean I passed? Am I a Turk?"

Tseng scrutinized her for several long moments and Aven waited breathlessly for his answer. Finally, he unfolded his arms. "No."

The blow of disappointment was a heavy one, and Aven had the overwhelming and impulsive urge to demand why. The words were half way out of her throat before she caught herself. Throwing a fit now would definitely not help her case. "Oh… okay," she said, choking down her frustration. "So then, what now?"

Tseng waited for a few moments letting the news sink in even farther. "Well, we have decided to keep you on as a trainee for now," he finally answered. "You will live here and take part in Turk training until we can determine if you are truly Turk material."

Aven's face brightened a little at this but it was still below what she'd hoped for. "Okay...so are we going to do some training today then?" she asked hopefully. She really wanted to know what would happen to her if she didn't reach that expectation but was afraid to know the answer.

"No, there are a few things we must accomplish before your training can begin," Tseng answered as he took a small step away from the door to allow her room to exit. "Now follow me."

"Yes, sir," she answered without hesitation. As he guided her down the hall, she suddenly recalled a little of last night. "I think Reno mentioned someone coming to get me, but I never thought it'd be you. You seem way too important for something like that." She thought she saw him smile, but if she did it was gone as quick as it came.

"The commander insisted I needed to get out of the office for a while."

They came to the elevator and he pressed a button to call it. Moments later the doors glided open and he stepped inside. She followed him, watching as he pressed one of the many numbered buttons.

As the elevator began to decend, Aven turned to him. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" She wanted to be prepared for whatever was coming.

"Today we will be spending getting you registered into the system. Our first order of business is medical tests."

"Medical?" Aven asked in curiosity. "I'm not sick, sir."

"It's protocol to have full records of the types of procedures that have been performed as well as any lasting illnesses you may have or could potentially obtain," Tseng explained easily as the elevator came to a halt.

"I see. So you go through this incase I get hurt or sick you'll know how to treat it," Aven guessed based on what he'd said.

"Esentially. Now shall we?" he asked gesturing to the open door. She quickly nodded and they were soon traveling in silence down the hall to the medical ward.

It took almost no time to reach it and when they did Aven found herself feeling nearly suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere and the eternally white walls. "This is...a hospital?" she asked pausing next to one of the rooms taking a quick peep through the window.

"That is correct," Tseng told her. "Please hurry, we do have a schedule to keep, and so do the people who work here."

Aven swallowed her nervousness and followed him, sticking close. As they walked the halls, they passed several people in white coats, some of them examining clipboards as they passed by. This didn't look like someplace Aven ever wanted to end up for an extended period.

Walking for several minutes down a maze of seemingly similar hallways, they finally paused in front of a set of grey double doors with a large sign which read 'EXAMINATION.' Suddenly, Aven felt the hair on the back of her neck begin to rise and she could feel her heels digging into the carpet of the hallway.

Stepping through the door into the Spartan waiting room inside, Tseng waved Aven in, "Dr. Pavlov is expecting you." He said as he indicated a bench, "Sit and you will be called in a few moments." She stared at him for a moment before her eyes went to the menacing doors and then back to him.

"You're not coming in with me?" She asked, her voice, she noticed was higher than normal.

"No, it would be unprofessional. You are a member of Shinra and you will act as a young Turk is expected." He stepped away from her, back towards the doors they came in through. "I will wait outside until you are finished."

"Right, okay," she replied staying calm as he left through the door. "I'm not sure I can do this alone though," she thought collapsing onto the bench. "I've never been in a city much less a hospital of one. I have no idea what's even supposed to go on in here."

She sat on that uncomfortable bench for what felt like forever before the old looking doctor stepped out the double doors. "Are you Aven?" he demanded in a rather cold sounding voice.

"Y-yes sir," she answered jumping to her feet.

He gave her a quick once over before turning and heading back through the doors. "Follow me and don't take all day with it."

Already dreading this visit, Aven trailed behind the doctor as he led her to one of many small rooms. He instructed her to sit on a weird table that was cushioned and had paper covering it. The doctor was very straight forward and no nonsense, making it clear he wanted this exam to be over with as soon as possible. Since Aven was of similar mind she had no problems doing as instructed.

He first instructed her to unbutton her shirt so he could stick a cold metal thing on her chest. Then he had her pushed up her sleeve and wrapped her arm in some weird thing that tightened so much she could feel her arm pulsating. He also had her step on what he called a 'scale' as well as measured her height. There were some more unpleasantness, shining a light in her eyes, hitting her knee with a hammer and making it pop up, making her go into a bathroom and pee in a cup, and all the while he was writing everything down. He asked her several questioned and after what must have been an hour of torture they seemed to be reaching the end.

Thank goodness, Aven thought.

The doctor took out what looked to be a needle. "Now all that's left is a blood sample."

"Uh...excuse me?" she asked eyeing the needle nervously.

"A blood test," the doctor repeated. "I'm just going to draw out some blood and run it through some tests. It shouldn't hurt as long as you relax."

Aven nodded slowly as she held out her arm for him to take. He pushed his fingers around the inner part of the joint before he seemed satisfied and sanitized the area. Then he inserted the needle into her skin eliciting a slight hiss of discomfort. She watched as the dark red liquid flowed into the container on the other end of the needle until he had enough and then he pulled it out.

"Now I'll get this tested and as long as you take care of yourself you shouldn't be back here," he muttered doing something out of her sight with the blood sample. "You're done by the way. Go, I know there's a lot more for you to take care of than just this."

"Alright… thank you."

Hopping from the exam table without another word, Aven was out the door in a matter of moments. She found Tseng standing outside the examination doors just as he said he would be.

"So everything went well?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Yep. So now what do we do?" She asked rocking back and forth on her heels.

He didn't answer immediately. There was a few moments of silent scrutiny and she stopped her rocking, worried she had done something to get her in trouble.

"Your shirt," he said at last.

Aven looked down and saw she had forgotten to rebutton it. She quickly did it up, trying to force back the blush coming to her cheeks.

"Next is tour of the training facility and then on to Identification." He said quietly as he pondered the girl. He turned away from her. "Come with me." And she followed him.

"There's no doubt about it," he thought as he led the way back to the elevator. "But how?"

* * *

The doctor took the sample and using a pipette he drew a large sample from the collection tube. Then walking into an adjoining room, he began just inside the door and working his way around the room, deposited a sample into every device, machine, centrifuge and testing paper carefully arranged for him. As he completed his circuit of the room, the final sample was placed on three microscopes where the technicians instantly leaned over and began looking for the specific items on their lists.

Taking just a few steps he ended next to the large man in the immaculate black suit.

"How long?" Veld asked the doctor.

Already papers were coming to the doctor's clipboard and he was quickly skimming the results.

"Be just a matter of minutes." He replied without looking up.

"Good," Veld answered watching the many different men testing their samples for their specified items.

"Sir, if don't mind my asking...what exactly do you expect to discover?" the doctor asked examining his expression. "Granted I did see the signs...but in someone so young and with no ties to Shinra it would be utterly impossible."

"Just finish the tests," Veld answered keeping his expression calm and his voice level.

The doctor nodded and less than twenty minutes later, he had the results in his hand and was handing them over to the Turk commander with a look of confusion in his eyes.

Veld quickly read over the results and returned them to the physician. "The results of her tests today and any future procedures involving her will be told to me and me alone. No one is to have access to these records without my consent."

"Yes sir," the doctor acknowledged taking the papers back. "How could something like this...?"

"No questions," Veld cut him off. "Complete silence."

* * *

The hall was empty when the elevator came to a stop and the pair exited. Aven was a little disappointed by the emptiness but didn't voice it as Tseng started to move. She silently followed behind him as the sounds of clanking and grunting filtered toward them.

"This is the pratice room," Tseng stated when they paused at the first doorway.

Aven peeked around him to see an enormous room with different workout equipment placed all around the walls and a dirt like floor for better traction. In the center of the room, Rude was doing pushups with a large weight on his back.

"Wow...cool!" she exclaimed looking all around the room. "So, this is just a do whatever to train room?"

"Unless otherwise stated, it's mostly for personal use," Tseng answered with a sigh.

He next showed her the simulation room where she would be spending at least half her training time in. After that, the weapons training room. Emerging from the hall into the vast space, she realized she was looking at more weapons than Aven had ever seen in her life. Guns, swords, knives, staffs, grenades, laser pistols, and a few she did not recognize were neatly arranged on stands in rows which seemed to go on as far as the eye could see. Also, she noted the weapons representing different fighting styles and cultures which served to decorate the walls.

"You will be learning how to use a vast majority of these weapons," Tseng said as they walked farther into the space.

"Seriously?" she asked taking it all in. "I've never even seen half of these before."

"Be that as it may, a Turk must have at least some skill in all areas to be truly effective," Tseng replied shortly. "You will receive training in all of them."

"Awesome," Aven murmured as they reached the end.

"All Turks are issued a handgun on their first day if they do not already possess a firearm," Tseng told her picking one up. "You on the other hand will receive one, which is to be returned, before going on any field exercises. If you manage to become a full Turk then, and only then, will you receive one of your own."

"Yes sir," Aven nodded in understanding. She fully understood what he was getting at but only really thought about the time she'd have her own.

The obtaining an I.D. part wasn't nearly as fun. Once in the Identification Office, it was another hour to go through the process of obtaining her I.D. Card. There wasn't much information Aven could give when filling out the forms. She had no address, no living relatives she knew of, and she absolutely refused to give her last name. That was no one's business but her own. Even Tseng was unable to convince her to give that information.

"But what if you are killed?" He had asked patiently.

"Then I'm dead," she answered with a shrug. "I keep telling you I have no family. There won't be anyone to alert or anything like that. So it really won't matter at all."

"I was referring to identification of the body," Tseng told her.

"I have a first name," she shot back before remembering who she was talking to and softening her tone. "And by the time it happens I will have a rank...so that should be good enough, right?"

"Confident, this one," Tseng thought wryly. It made him think of a certain red head he'd been working with for years now. It was almost frightening how alike they were in some respects.

At last Aven was fingerprinted as well as forced to have her picture taken. As far as she knew, she had never had an image of her recorded.

They waited for several minutes for the final card to be generated. At last, the attendant called her over and presented her with a simple leather wallet and her ID Card. She held it in her hand and stared at it.

On one side was a picture of a young woman, her wavy pearl white hair suspended above her shoulders and tanned skin from regular sun exposure. A sort of frown was on her face and bright hazel peepers staring up from the plastic card. Other than a mirror, she had never looked at herself. It was somewhat disconcerting. Next to the photo in bold letters was her name, AVEN. Then under it were the words, SHINRA TRAINEE, and the date. On the back a magnetic strip.

She did not hear Tseng step up behind her. "Everything in order?" He asked in a no-nonsense tone.

"Yeah," Aven answered slipping the card into her pocket. "Everything's fine."

"Good, that's everything I have for you today," Tseng told her as he began heading for the elvator one last time. "You are free for the remainder of the night. Tomorrow, I expect you up and ready for training at 0700 hours."

"Well, thanks for taking me around and showing me some of this stuff," Aven told him. "Even if it was just because it was your job."

"You're welcome," Tseng said as they began to walk back towards her room. It took about ten minutes, but finally they came full circle. Stopping in front of her door he looked down at her.

"If you have any questions don't hesitate to call and ask. My number is already programmed into your phone."

Aven stared at him, sure that she had heard wrong. "What phone?"

"It should be on your bed, along with your new uniform."

"I...still get a uniform?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, whether you're a full Turk or a trainee everyone must wear a uniform properly," he replied calmly.

"So...I assume that means not like Reno," Aven chuckled thinking about his sloppy appearance.

"If you're missing anything, I'll dress you myself," Tseng threatened.

By the seriousness in his tone, Aven was sure that was more a promise than threat.

After answering she would dress to code, she gave a final goodbye before walking into her room. Just as Tseng said, on her bed was a suit tailored to her size, only it was a dark navy blue instead of black. Next to it was a square object she could only guess was her new phone. She flipped it open, and immediately noticed it didn't look nearly as advanced as the ones she saw Reno and Rude carrying.

Sitting down on her bed, tired from the day, she looked at her new uniform. "Well, it's not what I was aiming for," she murmured, running a hand over the fabric. "But it's a start."

* * *

Shipponut: Ha! You thought we were gonna make her a Turk right away huh? Well too bad!

CM: Lol, nope, in this story she's gotta earn it. So what sort of training will she have to face? Oh hell it shall be!


	4. Training is Hell

**Chapter 4: Training is Hell**

After dropping Aven off at her room, Tseng returned to his office to get started on the large pile of paperwork sitting on his desk. He'd lost the entire day to leading the trainee around and hadn't completed any work because of it. Worse yet, even if he managed to get the paperwork finished at a decent hour, there was no way he'd be getting a good amount of sleep. As soon as the others returned from their missions they'd be having an all Turk meeting.

He sat down and got to work and a few hours later he found himself heading toward the Commander's office where Rude and Reno were just reaching the door.

"Hey, how'd the tour go?" Reno called out raising a hand in greeting with his smirk fully in place.

"Far less insufferable than when I had to tour you around," Tseng replied matter-of-factly.

After a routine knock, answered by a 'come in', the three Turks filed into Veld's office. It wasn't often all available Turks were called in like this. Usually Tseng as second in command would meet one on one with the commander and then relayed the information to the others. However, the current situation was handled best by cutting out the middle man. Along with the commander, two other occupied the room.

"It's good to see you all are here," Veld said to them from his desk. Then with a look at Reno added, "And on time."

"Well, frankly I was just lucky I got back just when it was supposed to start," Reno answered with a grin putting his hands behind his head.

"Aren't we all thankful for that," a man stated with a dark look through a pair of glasses at the red head. "Though, I may have enjoyed retrieving you once more." He fingered the blade at his hip as he spoke.

"Enough, we are here to piece together the Wutain's latest plans and dismantle them," Tseng spoke up. "Not delve into why Reno irritates us all."

The red head glared at Tseng for this while a young auburn haired female suppressed a chuckle.

"Thank you, Tseng," Veld murmured nodding towards his second in command. "Now, if you'll get us started, Haruto, what have you discovered since our last meeting?"

The dark haired gentleman smiled. "Even with the fall of their generals and commanders, the Wutains continue their resistance. Worse yet, the supply routes they are using are far out of the way, ungoverned by Shinra influence. I've been working on locating each of them, but considering the amount of ground to cover and their immaculate discretion, progress has been slow. "

Veld nodded once he was finished, then turned his attention to the young female. "Cissnei, what have you to report?"

"While searching around, I've heard some troubling rumors. Over the past several months there have been frequent monster attacks on various towns and cities. Just recently Kalm was attacked."

Veld's forehead creased in a deep frown "Any speculations as to why?"

She shook her head. "No one knows the cause."

"I see, this is troubling, do what you can to find cause," Veld ordered. Then he turned his attention to the others. "Reno, Rude, what's the situation on the plates and in the slums?"

"We've been following anything we can find about the leftovers but haven't managed to actually locate any of them," Reno answered scratching his head. "You'd think it'd be easier to find them considering."

"The locations are always cleaned out when we arrive," Rude added.

"Yeah, it's like they know we're comin' ahead of time," Reno agreed frowning in irritation.

"And now you know what it's like," Haruto commented pointedly.

The red head shot him a look. "Are you still not over that?"

Veld meanwhile was silent for several moments, pondering over the information he just received. "What are your thoughts on this, Tseng?"

Tseng found himself often looked to for his conjecture on these matters. No surprise considering he was originally from Wutai. He'd been born, raised, and molded by its culture. Yet regardless he found himself especially troubled by this news. A possibility came to him but… no, the likelihood was just far too low. Be that as it may, his fellow Turks were waiting on him, and it would do none of them good to waste time over speculating.

"The only thing I can think of is they may have a mole within the company that somehow has managed to obtain access to our systems," he finally explained. "However, to have someone in the system to that extend would take far more time than they've had."

"Not if they had them get in here before what's his name showed up," Reno pointed out. "Who's to say he didn't have more people on the inside?"

"Very well, I want you all to continue yours duties as usual, but be on high alert," Veld instructed them. "If there is indeed a leak somewhere we must find it quickly, but do not take any rash actions. Until this is resolved, we must act descreetly."

They each gave an affirming salute and after being dismissed they exited out of the office.

"So, is it true we have a new Turk candidate?" Haruto asked Tseng in intrigue.

"Yes, she is currently a trainee and is quite...unique," Tseng answered with a sigh.

"Unique? Admit it, the kid's great," Reno exclaimed coming up behind the pair. "She doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed...but she's hilarious. The moment she saw Tseng she called him pretty! It was awesome."

"She's a child," Rude added trying to explain more about the girl.

"She'll be great when she becomes a Turk though," Reno continued. "You should see her in action...reminds me of me before I got trained up."

"I pray for all our sanities if that is the case," Haruto muttered.

"Were we going to tell her about what's going on?" Cissnei inquired, even though she knew the obvious answer.

Tseng shook his head definitely. "No. Until she has earned the title, she will not be priviledged with that kind of information." He looked to Reno. "You pick the most inconvenient times to bring in a new recruit."

"Hey, you were the one complaining we were short handed," Reno said resting his hand behind his head. "Besides, look at Cissnei."

"She was trained from a young age specifically to become a Turk," Tseng reminded him sternly.

"Yeah, but this is something she actually wants, unlike the rest of us," Reno pointed out. "Plus, if she became this good without training, think what she might be like with it."

Rude was on the same page as Tseng as far as thinking Reno might have been a bit rash when deciding to bring Aven to Shrina. He would however agree with Reno, the girl did have talent, and as Reno said, she actually was aspiring to be a Turk. They all had there reasons for being here, but it was a far stretch to say any of them had wanted to.

Reno could have stopped there, but instead he just had to tag on, "And where do you find the room to criticize me when you brought in a stripper as a candidate?"

"The situation was very different," Tseng stated calmly. "She could handle the demands of being a Turk and was capable of masking her emotions."

"Well that's true, the kid's like an open book," Reno laughed. "But I'll bet this kid can handle it all too. Just you wait."

"I'd rather not ruin a child's innocence," Rude stated calmly.

"Is she really that young?" Cissnei asked curiously, noting that they kept calling her a kid.

"Naw, she's as old as you Cissnei, but she acts and looks like she's 10 or 12," Reno explained quickly.

"Since you've decided to place so much confidence in her, Reno, you will be in charge of her basic training," Tseng decreed.

The red head grinned. "Fine by me."

"Along with your other duties."

At that his face fell. "You really like cracking the whip, doncha?"

"Are you sure that's wise, Tseng?" Haruto asked worriedly. "Reno isn't what you'd call our finest example, and has been known to take advantage of any given situation. Sticking a poor young, innocent girl with him… it's unthinkable."

Reno's head whipped around to glare at the swordsman. "Hey, unlike you, I know when to keep my hands to myself."

Haruto smiled slyly. "You enjoyed it."

"Enough," Tseng said loudly, silencing any further argument. "Reno is in charge of her training. If I don't see any improvment, then your first chosen applicant will more than likely be removed from her trainee position," Tseng told him seriously. "Don't take it lightly."

"Ah that's harsh," Reno groaned as the Wutain walked off with Haruto and Cissnei leaving the two partners standing in the hallway. "It ain't like it'll be her fault if she don't see any improvements. He should at least give her another chance with a different teacher, right bud?"

Rude just looked at him and shook his head. Honestly, he'd rather her quit now and live a normal life for a teenage girl; one without all the killing and destruction she have to experience as a Turk.

* * *

The next morning, Aven woke up an hour earlier than she was expected to, and she used that time as wisely as she could. She quickly pulled out her new suit and spent most the time figuring out how it was all supposed to look. She spent a good 20 minutes on tucking the white shirt in alone trying to make it look as professional as Tseng and Rude before realizing she couldn't see the bottom of the shirt and throwing the coat on. Next she tried with all her might to figure out how to tie the tie. She mentally disected the image of the piece of clothing before attempting to recreate it while staring into the mirror. She thought she did pretty well until she discovered she couldn't move the knot up to her throat and instead sat at her collar.

She hadn't realized just how much time had passed until her door was thrown open and in strolled the Turk she wanted to see the least.

"Hey, squirt, glad to see ya up and ready to go," Reno greeted as he marched inside. "Ya might want to fix that though, Tseng'll throw a fit." He was pointing at the poorly fixed tie.

"I'm working on it," she said stiffly as she unknotted the thing and proceeded to try again. She didn't want to be criticized by her dress attire by a guy who dressed at the bare minimum of what was considered appropriate. "How come you don't wear one?"

"Never had the desire," he answered easily, leaning against the wall and folding his arms as he waited for her. The red head watched her for several minutes as she intently focused on attempting to tie the piece of cloth correctly around her neck. Reno took a quick glance at his watch then shook his head. "Alright, as fun as this is, we can't waste anymore time."

Aven, however, didn't want to give up. "Give me a minute, I almost have it."

"I've already given you ten," he said, approaching her. Before she could move away he grabbed both ends of the tie and began to tie it himself. "Watch what I'm doing cuz I ain't repeating this."

Aven glowered at him and had half a mind to refuse his assistance, but instead she stayed silent and watched how he looped the two ends together. He finished by tightening the knot a bit too snuggly, causing her to gag.

"And that's how it's done."

She quickly reached up and adjusted it so it wasn't cutting off her air supply before replying. "You didn't have to choke me with it," she muttered indignantly. Admittedly, he had done a good job with it...considering. "How do you even know how to do this if you never wear one?"

"Just because I don't wear one doesn't mean I never learned it," Reno answered as he headed out the door. "Now come on, you're already startin' late so let's get ya started on your training."

Grudgingly, Aven followed after him every now and again shooting him dirty looks. She wasn't sure what it was about him exactly, but he seriously rubbed her the wrong way. Why did he have to be the one to wake her up? Why couldn't it have been Rude? She was sure he'd have at least knocked before going into her room

She honestly couldn't wait until her training started, hopefully a Reno free training.

She was in for some major disappointment as instead of leading her to the training facility she'd been shown the day before, he took her to a door far off the path that led to a set of stairs going all the way down to the ground floor.

"Alright, so training number one," Reno said leaning against the railing. "You're gonna run all the way down these steps and all the way back up."

Aven looked at the staircase before looking back at him, not sure if she heard him right. "How is this training?"

"Simple, it'll build up your speed, strength, and endurance. You're gonna need a lot of all three to last through the simulators," he explained nonchalantly. "I'll be keeping track of your time. When you can run down and up 60 flights in 20 minutes, then you can upgrade to the training center."

"Fine, no problem," Aven muttered. She decided just to think of this as a warm up. Really, how hard could it be? Reno allowed her a few minutes to do some stretching, and once done she was poised at the top step, ready to go.

Reno held his watch up and placed his thumb over the timer button. "And…. Start."

As soon as he gave the order she was off racing down the steps as fast as she could without tripping over herself. Going down was fairly easy despite the distance as she didn't have to put too much effort into it. In almost no time she reached the bottom, spun around and began her climb keeping up her quick pace.

Around floor 30, she started to feel the major difference as her legs began to burn and her speed slowed. At floor 40, her breath was coming in short gasps as she continued to climb pushing herself to try and maintain a fast pace.

At floor 50 she found her vision going in and out of focus as she continued to push through the pain, her muscles screaming in protest. By the time she returned to the top, she was leaning over her legs panting heavily while trying her hardest to remain on her aching legs.

"So, how'd I do?" she asked between gasps.

"Huh?" Aven looked up to see that Reno seemed to have only just noticed her. In his hand he held a small book that he'd been reading. He suddenly seemed to realize what she was asking and looked down at his watch. "Oh, right you were running for time. Let's see...uh...looks like it took you half an hour. No wonder I was bored."

"Thirty minutes?" Aven groaned. Ten minutes was a hard gap to close, and who knows how long it was going to take to close it.

Reno shut his book and pushed himself off the railing. "Don't worry, you'll have another chance to try again in about an hour. Until then," he pointed to the ground. "How about you drop and give me… let's say, three sets of twenty?"

The blank look on her face was a clear sign she hadn't a clue what he meant. "Three sets of what?"

"What rock have you been living under?" He shook his head before telling her, "Push ups, squirt."

Push ups… terrific. Aven went down on the floor and her legs were grateful for the brief reprive. Aven had watched guys do push ups back in Gold Saucer to buff up, and frankly, she didn't enjoy this excercize very much. She thought about just doing the push ups on her knees, but she was sure Reno would make fun of her if she did. So she hoisted her body up on her hands and toes.

Just as she was about to start her first set, Reno came forward and put a hand on the small of her back, pushing down. "Lower your butt, you look like a stink bug ready to go off."

She glared up at him but decided not argue and attempted to keep her back straight. "Better...alright, get crackin'."

She sucked in her breath involuntarily as she slowly lowered herself down and back up, straining to get herself all the way back. She took a couple calming breaths before starting on the next. Despite the burning in her arms she managed to steadily complete 10.

"Halfway there," she thought trying to bolster her resolve. Just then, she felt something small, solid and somewhat heavy rest on her back.

"What are you doing?" she demanded looking up at him.

"Just giving you a little extra challenge," he answered with a shrug. "It's only 5 pounds...or is that too much?"

Aven grit her teeth to keep from throwing out a come back before starting again. With a little extra effort, she finally finished her first set. Before she could get up to give her arms a break, she felt another being placed on her back.

"What, I didn't say anything about getting up between each set," he told her with a grin. She just glared at him as her arms shook beneath the added weight. "I know I'm nice to look at but it's time to start your next set."

'I hate you. I Hate you. I HATE you! I HATE YOU!'

Aven repeated this chant in her head each time she went down and came back up. In turned out loathing was one heck of a motivator because she managed to pull through the second set. During that time, Reno had placed yet a third weight on her back and her arms were screaming for a break. Or maybe to break.

She took a pause, keeping herself suspended for several seconds. Then she went through her third set at a very slow pace, pausing between each push up. Reno had gone back to reading his book. When she finished the last one, she just lay on the ground. Her arms were burning and she didn't even want to force them to push her back up to sit or stand.

She was able to lie there for several minutes before Reno finally noticed that she'd stopped moving. "So, is this the first sign of defeat?" he asked leaning over her.

She forced her head off the ground and half glared half smirked up at him. "I finished," she answered in a wearily triumphant voice.

"Really? Well in that case why don't you do one more set, since these seemed to be too easy for you," he told her as he straightened up.

Her smirk vanished in an instant to be replaced by a look of horror. The expression made Reno start to laugh and he easily reached down to lift the weights that had somehow managed to stay on her back.

"I'm kididng, squirt," he laughed. "Besides, we got a lot more to do so I can't let you eat the floor all day."

Aven checked her watch to find only an hour had passed since they'd started. If this was how it was going to be all day she wasn't sure how she was going to survive. But she couldn't give up. If nothing else, she needed to proved she could take whatever Reno could throw at her. As she stood up, Reno tossed her a bottle of water.

"We'll go until noon time, and then if you're up for it you can tag along with Rude and me for lunch."

Aven gratefully accepted the water and cracked it open, taking a large gulp. She was silent for a few moments, until she asked, "How come I didn't get in?" She looked down at her shoes, not wanting him to see her face as she asked, "Was I not good enough?"

There was the scratching noise of Reno raking his nails across his scalp. "Well, hell, even I didn't think you were going to get in right away."

"What? Then why bring me here at all?" she demanded.

"Easy, you had the potential to be a Turk so I snatched ya up before you became too engrossed in your Gold Saucer fame," he answered with a shrug. "So I figured as long as you survived training you should be just fine."

"You really think so?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him as she finished off her water.

"Yeah, but like I said, you have to survive training," Reno told her seriously. "Anyway, it's time to move on to the next part of training." Aven groaned at this but followed him out of the stairwell anyway. "Just think of it this way. If you manage to keep up with everything I throw at you, then at lunch I'll getcha' a special treat."

"I'm not a dog," Aven said in disgruntlement.

"Trust me, around here, ya might as well be."

* * *

CM: Hehe, yes Reno is a demonic training instructor. I think we all know he means well. Or does he? Stay tuned and please review. :)


	5. Good Samaritan

**Chapter 5: Good Samaritan **

By the time lunch came around Aven was close to collapsing from exhaustion. After the stairs and pushups, Reno had her go through situps, pullups, and even run a few laps around a large track. Now she felt like every muscle in her body was screaming for her not to move.

When the training ended, Reno led Aven toward the elevator where Rude was waiting for them. "Hey Rude, ready for some grub?" he called out. Rude nodded in reply but then looked over at Aven. "Oh, I invited the kid along cause I figured she'd be starvin' after training."

Rude nodded in understanding and the three boarded the elevator taking it to the ground floor. "Where are we eating?" Rude asked suddenly.

"Ooh, how about we hit up a bar?" Reno suggested.

Rude's forehead creased in an obvious frown. "She's underage."

"So? She'll be with us."

"Pick some place else."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. How about we take her to That Place?"

"Huh?" Aven said looking at him in confusion. "What is that place?"

He shrugged. "It's just That Place."

Aven looked to Rude. "What is he talking about?"

"That's the name," Rude told her.

"Huh, weird," Aven muttered. "Do they have good food?"

"It's one of the best dives in Midgar," Reno explained. "It's not wildly popular but it's a great place to go for a good meal."

Aven's stomach growled. "Sounds great. I could eat a whole chocobo at this point."

"As tiny as you are I seriously doubt that."

"Heh, you'd be surprised," Aven chuckled. "Grandpa used to say

he'd go bankrupt with how much I used to eat."

"Sure kid," Reno laughed as he led the way out of the building and down the street. Aven glared at him along the way but didn't have the energy to argue and Reno took that as a sign of defeat so he changed the topic and just kept on talking.

When they finally reached _That Place_ he led the way inside and picked a table near the back facing the door and windows. "Alright, so pick anything you want on the menu, squirt," Reno told her.

And pick she did. Aven ordered a hamburger with a side of fries, a personal pizza, buffalo wings, and a shake. At first not even Rude believed someone so small could consume so much food, and Reno warned her that whatever she didn't finish she would be paying for. But at the end of the hour Aven had finished everything and was washing it down with her strawberry shake.

"Wow, that was delicious," she exclaimed happily taking a large sip of the thick pink drink. "I definitely wanna come back here."

Rude looked at his partner who for once was dumbfounded. "She just racked up a 300 gil bill all by herself."

"Thanks for lunch Reno, I feel a whole lot better now," Aven said with a smile. "So, what back to training now?"

"Uh, yeah. How are you able to put so much away anyway?" Reno demanded.

"Easy, I'm a growing girl that needs the nutrition," Aven answered ginning at the pair. "I mean obviously I wasn't eating enough growing up as I don't look anywhere near how old I'm supposed to."

"Obviously. Hey, Rude, next time you pay."

After that, the two of them showed Aven around the Sector 8 area. She couldn't help but marvel at just how big the one sector was. It was as big if not bigger than most of the towns she'd traveled through. Reno even took the time to explain how Midgar was composed of 8 different sectors, and each sector had a plate level and a low level underneath. There was the theatre district where a group of woman attempted to get Aven to join their fan club, the fountain plaza, and the train station. After a few hours of touring around the two Turks said it was time to head back. Aven was a little disappointed by this.

"But you haven't shown me whats below the plates yet," Aven complained.

Reno shook his head. "Those are just the slums. No reason for you to be down there."

Aven frowned but knew that arguing wouldn't do her any good. So instead she decided that when she got the chance she'd check it out herself. How bad could they be?

Once they got back to the Shinra building, her training resumed. It ended hours later where she took enough time to get something to eat for dinner before collapsing onto her bed.

* * *

The next few days were the same, consisting of her going through Reno's training in hell, lunch, more training then dinner and bed. By the end of the second day her muscles were so sore she was sure her limbs would fall off in protest. That night, she was in so much pain that she was woken up around midnight by her screaming muscles. Thinking that a midnight snack might relax them a bit, she forced herself onto her feet and stumbled her way towards the Turk TK where she knew some food was kept.

The TK was otherwise known as the Turk's Kitchen. It had a fully stocked pantry and fridge, and everything you would need to make just about anything. Not that Aven had any experience with cooking other than over a camp fire. Apart from the kitchen was also a lounge area with couches, a coffee table with magazines stacked on top, a shelf with books, a radio, and even a big screen TV.

Aven turned on one of the lights and made her way over to the fridge. She pulled out some cheese and carrot sticks, and poured herself a glass of grape juice. In mid pour an abrupt sound across the room made her jump a little bit. She hadn't realized when she first came in, but one of the sofas was occupied. Reno was draped haphazardly across the couch, his arm dangling off the edge, his face half buried in the cushions. He was sound asleep, snoring, dead to the world. On the coffee table in front of him were several papers stacked in two messy piles. Unfinished paperwork, she would guess; she'd heard Turks had to do that stuff too.

She finished pouring her drink and put the rest away before gingerly making her way towards the couch. She looked the red head over curiously before glancing at the table. It looked like he had a ton of paperwork to do and most of it still looked unfinished.

As she looked between the couch and the table a thought struck her. "He is still a Turk, so that must mean he still has missions and stuff Turks usually have to do. And on top of that, he takes the time to train me." She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for always thinking of him as evil, vindictive, or always trying to make her too tired to pass the entrance exam. She supposed he really was just trying to help, and he probably didn't have to do it anyway.

Deciding to think of the training in a whole new light, she went back to her food and finished it off before quickly finding a blanket of some sort and gently draping it over his sleeping form. It'd probably be best if he didn't get a cold or anything.

While she busied herself with this, she didn't notice a passerby peaking inside from the open door. Haruto had arrived just in time to witness the thoughtful act of kindness. He shook his head before continuing down the hall.

"As I suspected, she isn't anything like him."

* * *

It wasn't until the end of her first week of training that Aven finally managed to get her first real break. Reno had been scheduled a a mission for that morning and so her training had been canceled or at least postponed until he returned. She received this information first thing that morning via a phone call from Reno.

"Hey, squirt, sorry but I just got a mission call," he'd said. "Turns out we won't be getting in any training this morning so your free until I get back. Ya may want to use it ta get some practice in though. You'll need it for what's comin' up."

After that he hung up. Aven shook her head as she put her phone away. There

was no way she was going to spend her only free time since she got there training...especially since she still had a city to explore. So, instead of taking the red head's advice, she changed into the only other clothing she had besides her suit and headed for the elevator. Shortly afterwords, she was strolling off the train into the sector 8 slums.

"Wow, the slums really...smell," Aven thought walking through the dirty streets. "I'd heard the midgar plates make life under them a nightmare...but this is worse than I thought." She saw so many people who were wearing torn clothing and who looked ill that she wished she had a way to help.

The depressed and decrepit looks on the peoples' faces only served to make her feel worse. She had never been rich by any means, but she knew that her personal experiences couldn't compare to growing up in a place like that.

Feeling slightly depressed and a little irritated at Shinra for letting things get this bad, she was preparing to leave when a cry for help reached her ears. She glanced around and saw a little boy running with something in his hands and bruises all over, being chased by a group of young men shouting at him to "hand it over".

Aven's brow furrowed and she reached towards her belt loop where her whip was fastened. Just as her hand clutched the deadly weapon, another shouting voice distracted her.

"Alright, all of you break it up!" A man with sand colored hair perhaps a few years older than Aven stepped in front of the men cutting them off from the little kid.

"Out of our way punk!" one of the men yelled and was about to push passed him. He immediately halted when he suddenly found a gun pointed at his face.

"Let's be smart about this," the man said seriously. "I don't want to hurt you, but I won't hesitate if you continue this disgusting behavior. Stealing from children is a rather low thing to do, don't you think?"

The men put up their hands at the sight of the weapon and started in the opposite direction. Once they were gone, he turned to the kid and smiled putting the weapon away. "Are you alright?" he asked kindly. "You look a little beat up."

"I'm fine," the kid replied happily. "Thanks a lot, Justin."

"It's no problem. Here let me heal some of those for you." With that he activated what looked like a materia and moments later the boy's bruises were gone.

"Wow, he really decided to risk his life to protect and help that child?" Aven thought in wonder. "I never thought I'd meet someone like that down here."

Once the boy was all healed up he ran off. After a few moments, Justin fell to one knee clutching his heart. "Oh boy, that was close. I thought I was going to faint."

Aven was dumbfounded. Okay...so apparently he wasn't quite as gallant as she first figured. But still...he did do a good deed without expecting anything in return. "Um, excuse me..." she said tentatively approaching the man named Justin.

"Huh?" his head whipped around and seeing it was only a young girl, his face relaxed. "Oh, hello. Haha, it seems you just saw the worst side of me."

"I don't know what you mean," Aven said honestly. "I thought that was a really nice thing you did."

"Yes, well, I've always had a bad habit of interloping," he said with a light laugh, straightening up. He held out a hand to her. "Justin Summers, at your service m' lady."

"Aven," she replied, blushing at being called "lady". She noticed he was looking rather pale. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, just getting my second wind," he replied shakily.

"Were you really that scared to face them?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, well there were three of them and I'm no fighter," he replied nervously.

"Then why step in at all?" she asked taking everything he said in.

"Because stepping in was the only thing I could do," he answered. "Just because they're lacking in many things doesn't give them the right to steal from a little boy who managed to get his hands on something."

"You're right," Aven agreed. Then she laughed as his knees were shaking. "But you won't be a lot of help to anyone if you can barely manage to stay on your own feet."

"Haha, that's true," Justin replied. Talking to her seemed to help him get over his stress fairly quickly. "By the way, miss. Why are you here? You don't seem like you belong down in the slums."

"I was just touring around," she answered, then returned in kind. "What about you? You don't look very destitute either."

"Ah, well, when I have enough free time on my hands I come down here to help out a little bit," he said sheepishly. "Repair work and healing if anyone needs it... Just little things."

"You're really amazing," she said, her eyes glowing in awe. She'd never met anyone so incredibly selfless before.

"N-no, I'm really not," he stuttered, his ears turning red in embarrassment. He coughed a couple times before asking, "So if you're touring around, I take it you're new to Midgar?"

"Yeah, I haven't been here long," she answered with a shrug. "I just got a job up top and have already finished touring up there. So I decided I'd explore down here as well."

"You don't say?" Justin said, eyes lighting up. "That's wonderful." He glanced at his watch and nearly jumped out of his pants. "Shoot, speaking of work, I'm gonna be late. It was a pleasure meeting you, Aven. I hope we meet again."

She watched him run off tilting her head to the side. "Huh...he's kind of weird. Nice though."

Aven watched him run off, tilting her head to the side. "Huh… he's kinda of weird. Nice though."

Figuring she'd been gone long enough, Aven decided to head back. So she took the train back up to the plate and walked back to the Shinra building.

"Wow, that took a lot longer than I thought it would," Aven marveled when she checked the clock on her phone.

The whole trip had taken her about 3 hours. "Well, I'm pretty sure I wasn't missed. Reno was on a mission so I wouldn't have been needed for anything." With that thought in mind, she walked into the TK and took a seat munching on a bag of chips she found in the cupboard.

Not long after she sat down, someone else came into the room. "Geeze, squirt, where the heck have you been?" Reno demanded marching over to her.

"Uh...I went touring around," she answered pausing to answer with a chip halfway to her mouth. "Is something wrong?"

"Other than Tseng having a minor conniption because are newest trainee suddenly went missing, not a thing." He slowly shook his head. "Where did you go anyway?"

Before she could answer, a phone went off. Reno dug around in his pocket until he located the chirping device and flipped it open. "Yello. Yeah, she's right here with me. Uh-huh… got it." He snapped the phone shut before looking at her. "He wants to see you. Says he tried calling you several times. You didn't put your phone on silent, did you?"

Aven felt her face go red as her stomach dropped out of existence. "Uh… I might have forgotten to turn it back on."

Reno sighed and shook his head. "And here I thought I was the irresponsible one," he muttered. "Anyway, get on up there...and good luck."

Aven swallowed hard at the red head's words but managed a nod and quickly got to her feet. She hurried to Tseng's office unsure of what was going to happen. She'd never had anyone really question what she did before; she could disappear for an entire day without anyone getting worried about where she went. Now that there was someone, she didn't know how to deal with it.

It took her almost no time to reach the Wutain's office, and she nervously knocked on the door and waited for the call for her to enter. When she heard it, she was sure the tone was dangerously angry.

"You...wanted to see me, sir?" she asked slowly opening the door and poking her head through the opening.

"Come in and sit down," came the stern command.

Aven hurriedly came in and shut the door behind her before taking a seat in one of the chairs arranged before Tseng's desk. While Tseng's expression was only slightly more severe than usual his dark eyes told another story.

"Where were you these past few hours?"

"I…" She had to swallow to saturate her dried up throat. "…just went out for a walk, sir."

"That is not what I asked. I repeat, 'where did you go?'"

She winced before mumbling, "Down in the slums, sir."

Tseng closed his eyes, then rubbed them a little. "You went to the slums. For a walk."

"Yes, sir," Aven answered softly.

"I wanted to see what it was like. I honestly thought that since Reno was on a mission and I didn't have any training then no one would mind."

"And not answering your phone was part of this?" Tseng asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well...that was actually because I forgot to turn it back on," Aven admitted sheepishly.

"And you never thought to check it."

"No...it's the first phone I've ever had and I'm not really used to people actually trying to get a hold of me," Aven explained as clearly as she could.

Tseng released an audible sigh as though attempting to force his frustrations out on the exhale. After a few moments of silent contemplation he spoke again.

"At least you had the sense not to go out in your trainee uniform."

Aven almost followed up on her kneejerk reaction to ask why wearing it would have been back, but she bit her tongue and waited for him to say more.

"From now on, I would prefer you do not leave the Shinra building without either Reno or Rude to escort you. And to keep your phone on at all times unless the silence is a necessity."

Aven nodded hurriedly. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"I don't want apologies, I want results."

"Yes sir," she repeated. She didn't understand why they were being so strict over something as simple as going outside by herself when she was at the very least a Turk trainee, but she wasn't about to say any of this to Tseng; he seemed upset enough as it was.

"Good. We're finished here, you may leave," he replied turning his attention to a small stack of papers on his desk.

Aven nodded silently before getting to her feet and leaving the room. Immediately upon exiting, she was greeted by the red head and his bald companion.

"So, how'd it go?" Reno asked folding his arms.

"You were standing right here, so obviously you heard the whole thing," Aven muttered. "So I'm not gonna repeat it."

"That room is sound proof," Rude told her.

Aven looked sheepishly at the floor for a few moments. "I just don't understand why he was so mad."

Reno and Rude exchanged glances at this. After a while, Reno asked, "Well, did he dish out any punishments or did you just get a slap on the wrist?"

Aven looked at him oddly. "He didn't slap my wrist."

The red head face-palmed while Rude shook his head. "Oh, man, what rock did you grow up under?"

"A really tall and wide one," Aven answered after a bit of thought.

Reno stared at her with an open mouth at this for a few moments before shaking his head. "Did he dish out a punishment?"

"Well, he said I can't leave the building without one of you being with me and I have to keep my phone on at all times," Aven answered with a pout. She looked up at Reno and glanced over to Rude. The feeling she got from him made her want to curl up in a corner. It made her feel much worse then all the berating combined.

"Okay, so he did just slap her on the wrist," Reno thought. Out loud he said, "Well, we should get back to training. I'll be tacking on a an extra hour for that stunt you pulled."

Aven's eyes widened in dread as Reno caught her by the neck and began steering her towards the elevator. She looked to Rude for help but the look he gave her said she deserved this.

* * *

CM: Apologies for the wait. Been sick and in the middle of a job transfer. So Aven has made a new friend. And yes, we do have future plans for him. What they are, well you'll just have to wait and see. :P


	6. I'm a Ninja!

**Chapter 6: I'm a Ninja!**

After Aven's little slap on the wrist, she did her best to stay out of trouble. It was her twentieth day of Reno's boot camp from hell when she at last made some significant progress. She'd just finished her run up the stairs, and once she hit that last step she rested against the rail while Reno checked the time.

"Hmm… 20 minutes and three seconds…" he murmured. "Still not quite there."

Aven suppressed a groan. She had hoped she would finally be able to move up to something more than endurance training.

"Well, close enough I guess," Reno said. "Besides, I already had Tseng rent out the simulation room for today. You're welcome."

"Y-you did?" Aven asked surprised. "Why'd you do that? I thought I had to finish this up first?"

"Seriously? I did you a favor squirt, don't question it," Reno grumbled. "Anyway, I figured at the rate you were going today you'd hit that mark so I was just gettin' ready."

Aven blinked a couple times feeling her cheeks burn the slightest. He really believed in her. As big a jerk as he could be he actually believed she could do it. She felt extremely pleased by the assumed compliment and grinned at him. "So, what happens in a...simulation room?" she asked trying her hardest to contain her excitement.

Reno was about to ask her how she didn't know what a simulation was but decided against it. There seemed to be a lot of things that were common knowledge that she just didn't know. "Ya run through possible missions in a controlled room," he explained trying to figure out how best to explain it. "Basically it's a way for us to see how you'd do in the field."

"That is so cool!" she exclaimed balling her hands into fists in her excitement. "So, when do we get started?!"

"As soon as we get up there," Reno told her as he led the way out of the stairwell.

Amidst Aven's excitement, she felt her stomach growl. "Um… I don't suppose we could stop for a snack on the way could we?"

"You're hungry again?" Reno asked in disbelief. In the few weeks they'd spent together he'd become quite familiar with her ferocious appetite.

"I can't help it… I've always needed to eat a lot. Otherwise I get really sick and dizzy, "Aven explained rubbing her tummy.

Reno rolled his eyes before digging around in his pocket. "Here," he said handing her a few sticks of what looked like dried meat. "Some Lean N' Mean should tide you over."

Aven accepted the offer of food and eagerly bit into it. "Huh, it's actually pretty good," she murmured taking another bite.

"You seem surprised," Reno commented.

"Well, honestly I figured you'd give me something that tasted nasty just so you could get me to say I wasn't hungry anymore," she answered with a shrug.

"Oh come on, food isn't generally on my hit list you know," Reno muttered. "It's such a waste."

"Oh, well thanks for telling me," Aven replied finished off her snack as they reached the elevator and started up to the training floor. "So, what do you think I'll be put against first? Some Wutains? SOLDIERS gone rogue? Ooh, or maybe some trained assassins."

"Well aren't we eager?" Reno chuckled. "But you gotta work your way up the ladder first."

The elevator reached the designated floor and Reno led Aven down the hall. Tseng was waiting in front of one of the metallic automatic doors. "You're late," he told the approaching pair.

"By two minutes, gimme a break," Reno grumbled.

"Every minute is precious. I've scheduled to have this room for the next two hours," Tseng told him. "Let's not waste anymore time." He looked to Aven who immediately straightened. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," she answered standing at attention.

"Then step inside and we will begin," he replied gesturing to the door behind him. She nodded and stepped through as he and Reno proceeded to the control room.

Once inside, Aven took in the unusual looking walls and floor still unsure of what Reno meant by simulation. As she continued to look around waiting for things to get started, the imagery shifted until she was standing in the middle of the sector 2 slums. "Woah...is this thing like a teleporter or something?" she muttered out loud sure no one could hear her in the seemingly empty streets.

"Welcome to the simulator room," Tseng's voice echoed causing Aven to glance around in surprise. She wasn't sure where the voice was coming from, but she could hear it as plainly as if he were right beside her. "You will now undergo a mission based on a hypothetical situation. What you see before you is simply a simulation, an illusion if you will. Nevertheless, you are to treat this as a real mission and act accordingly. Do you have any questions?"

So she wasn't really outside in the sector area? But it looked, felt, and even smelled so real. Aven was nothing short of astounded. Technology really was something else. "Um, just one… what's the mission?"

"There is suspicious activity going on in the sector," Tseng explained. "Your mission is to gather information without attracting any unwanted attention."

"Okay, sounds simple enough," she replied doing a couple quick stretches. "Alright, let's do this." As soon as she finished she started down one of the nearest alleyways. It ended at an opening where a few people were meandering around.

She stayed in the entrance of the alleyway trying to keep out of sight as she scanned the area for anything suspicious. For awhile, nothing really struck her as odd and she was about ready to move on when a man went in and out of the shadows with a very confident swagger.

Thinking it was the best she was going to do for awhile, she watched him until he disappeared down another one on the opposite end. "Of course that's the case," she sighed. "Now I've got to get over there before he disappears without letting them all see me."

She quickly looked for a way to cross and searched the dumpster, eventually coming up with what looked like an old robe. A grin spread across her face as she quickly threw it on over her clothing and covering her hair before she started walking out into the open.

The street wasn't packed so she was able to migrate from one end of the street to the other with little difficulty. She reached other opposite alley and began wandering through searching for the suspicious character. When she rounded a corner, she was met by a snarl a set of bare fangs. A stray dog was hunched amongst the garbage can, its hackles raised as it growled at her.

Aven knew she was in a spot of trouble, because if the dog started barking not only would that draw unwanted attention but alert her target. Then suddenly she got an idea. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out one of the Lean N' Mean sticks Reno gave to her and ripped it open.

"Shh…. It's okay, boy. See? I got something for you…" She held out the meat stick for the canine, hoping it would be enough to satiate him and let him know she wasn't a threat.

The dog seemed to calm down a bit at the sight and smell of the food and began to slowly approach her. It hadn't yet made a sound. As it approached it stayed in its guarded position wary about what she might do. Eventually it made it close enough to take the small meat stick from her and did so quickly scarfing it down. Once it was gone, it looked back up at her and started licking her hand.

"Oh you're a good boy aren't you," Aven cooed softly. "Well, that's all I have, so why don't you stay here and keep quiet okay."

The dog whined a bit, but a little scratch behind the ears and it quieted a bit. Back in the control center, Reno started laughing. "Wow, I've never seen anyone solve the dog problem like that."

"Where did she get that?" Tseng asked curiously.

"She said she was hungry on the way here so I gave her a couple," Reno answered with a shrug. "Honestly I thought she ate them all."

"Clever…" Tseng had to admit he was impressed, both by her guile and her luck.

They continued to observe and the girl managed to successfully track down her target and listen in on a suspicious conversation. Rather than doing anything rash, like trying to take the suspects in, she collected the information and made herself scarce without getting caught.

"I half expected her to take matters into her own hands," Tseng murmured. "It's comforting to know she can at least follow instructions."

Reno released a wide yawn. "I think I'm gonna take a nap for a bit," he said slumping in his chair. "Wake me when it's over."

"She's your candidate," Tseng said in a disproving tone, glancing over at the red head. "You're fine not seeing how she performs?"

"No point really," Reno said with a shrug. Then he grinned. "I already know she's gonna pass."

"You could at least act like you're supporting her," Tseng said as he returned to the screen. Having heard the comment Reno just grinned.

Back in the training facility, Aven was just leaving reaching the area where the dog was hiding when it came up and started nudging her hand wanting another snack. It even started to bark excitedly. "No, shush," she hissed holding her hands out towards it. "I'm not out of trouble yet, so be quiet."

Moments later, she heard someone call out trying to figure out why the barking and she quickly took the dog and dove behind a few boxes holding the dog as still and as quiet as she could.

Even though the dog was smelly and his fur matted, Aven kept a firm grip on him. She kept him placated by scratching him lightly behind the ears. For a couple minutes she waited as she heard the sound of someone searching the alleyway. Then the footsteps gradually faded and she released the breath she was holding, and the dog. The canine licked her face before jumping off her lap and wandering off. Aven stood, brushing herself off before leaving the alley and finding a private place to make a phone call and report her findings.

As soon as she put the phone to her ear, her surrounds began to break apart and shift around her.

"Mission passed," Tseng's voice spoke from above. "Now onto the next simulation…"

She watched in amazement as the sector fell away to be replaced by a town that looked very familiar.

"Wow, it looks just like the real thing," she thought bending down and running her fingers over the coarse dirt.

"Aven, pay attention," Tseng's voice sounded making her stand back up quickly. "This next session is simply information gathering. There is an Anti-Shinra group somewhere in this town. You need to find their base and obtain an accurate idea of what they plan to do without being found out by anyone."

"Huh, don't draw attention to myself again," she murmured to herself. "That seems to be a rather large part of most of their work. Reno did mention something about needing to be good at sneaking."

"Begin."

As soon as the order came, Aven immediately began heading for the edges of the town trying to remember where everything was located.

"Huh, if I was a group trying to take down Shinra where in Correl would I hide?" she muttered to herself.

Back in the control room, Reno and Tseng both glanced up when they heard someone enter. Heruto came strolling in with a serene smile plastered on his face.

"Good day," he greeted pleasantly. He glanced at the monitor and moved closer to get a better look. "Is that our trainee on screen?"

"Naw, it's the latest episode of _All My In-Laws_," Reno commented sarcastically.

Tseng returned his gaze to the screen, not wanting to miss anything. He was responsible for grading her performance after all. "Haruto, I though you were on assignment."

"I just finished reported in," the bespectacled man explained. "I heard our newest trainee was starting in the simulation room today, and since I had a spare moment I thought I might peek in."

"Well, you already missed her first doosey of a performance," Reno laughed looking at the screen himself. "I can't wait to see how she deals with this one."

Tseng pointedly ignored the comments behind him as he continued to watch the young trainee make her way through the simulated town. Eventually she made it to the distribution center for the coal mine. It was a two story building with boards on all the windows.

"Perfect, use the one building everyone sees as abandoned," she thought slowly approaching the building and placing a single hand on the boards. "Now, how to get inside to make sure."

She silently tugged on one of the boards, testing its strength. It didn't even budge. Not wanting to be defeated before she even got started, she began circling the building looking for any other way inside. On the opposite side, she managed to find one window with a small opening in it.

Just as she was preparing to climb up to her entrance, she heard a small sound behind her and whirled around to find a small child. "Lady, what are you doing here?" the little boy asked pointing up at the building. "Daddy said this place is off limits."

"That's because it is," she agreed quickly with a smile. "I was just looking around to make sure no one snuck inside."

"But you're a Turk aren't you?" the boy asked somewhat frightened.

Aven chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before her smile was back and she went to one knee placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Alright I'll tell you what I'm doing here if you promise to keep it a secret." The boy nodded eagerly so she continued. "You see, I'm not really a Turk. I...am a ninja. I've been hired by a certain group to try and infiltrate the Turks to see if I can cause some damage from the inside. If I can, I'm going to be making sure the bad men can't hurt anyone anymore."

The boy started up at her with wide excited eyes. "You're a...ninja?"

"Yep, and right now there's a group of Turks inside this building. I need to sneak inside to see what they're up to, so I need you to keep this to yourself as much as possible," she told him with an urgent tone. "And if you do, then the next time I come around I'll make sure to give you some nice candy. Think you can keep this a secret for me? That means not telling anyone."

"O-okay!" The child agreed readily. "I won't tell anyone. Wow, I can't believe I actually got to meet a ninja!"

Aven smiled and rubbed his head. "Uh-huh, now hurry along before any of the REAL Turks show up."

"Alright, good luck, Miss Ninja!" the littled boy said before running off as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"BWAHAHAHA!" Reno's loud laughter echoed throughout the control room as he threw himself back in his seat. "Oh man, can I pick em or what? 'I'm a ninja'… priceless."

"Hmm, the girl is a not so much a good liar as a convincing one," Haruto mused thoughtfully.

Tseng had to agree. The choice of story was adequate for a child of that age. Still, animals and children were only a few of the complications that could arise during a mission, and this was only a level 1 simulation. The rest of the simulation went by smoothly and Aven managed to sneak in and gather information without getting caught.

Once the simulation was over, the scenery all melted away back to its original appearance.

"That was great squirt," Reno laughed strolling into the simulation room and draping an arm around her neck. "Where the hell did you come up with that ninja line anyway?"

"Uh...I was just thinking of people who snuck around that I knew kids thought were cool," she answered pushing his arm off of her. "Ninja was just the first one to come to mind."

He reached down and ruffled her hair. "Nah, you did good for your first simulated mission. I think you've earned yourself some lunch, and if we got time, Rude and I can take ya around the building. Show you the places you haven't been yet."

"That sounds terrific," she said before glancing past him, expecting to see someone else. "Where's Tseng?"

"Already gone, said he had a lot of work to do, but he's gonna set up another simulation session for tomorrow."

"Oh, okay then," Aven replied with a wide grin. "Let's go then, I'm starvin'."

"Great, you're buying your own food this time though," Reno chuckled leading the way out of the training room.

"Haha, alright. I don't want to make you go broke after all," Aven laughed following after him. She didn't express it, but inside she felt like she'd just passed the first big step. If she did well on this easy simulation then maybe she'd be able to make it to a full Turk in no time.

* * *

"If I may, Tseng," Haruto said as he escorted the second in command back to his office. "Must Cissnei and I continue to hide our existences from the new girl? She seems trustworthy enough."

"I don't doubt she is," Tseng acknowledged. "However, I want to be certain she is prepared for what being a Turk entails. Until that day comes, I'd rather she be kept on a need ot know basic." Haruto hummed before murmuring, "Very well. You know what's best after all."

The two seperated once they reached his office and Tseng went over to his desk as he started on his report. There were a lot of signs that showed she'd make a fairly good Turk. She was good at getting in and out of places, she was fast and she was quick witted. He had to admit he was impressed that she was able to come up with the ninja story on the spur of the moment and make it that convincing. It almost seemed as if in her mind she hadn't just lied through her teeth. It could definitely come in handy in the future.

What concerned him though is that even though they were the lowest level simulations and she had managed to get through both senarios without so much as a fight, he was slightly concerned that she wouldn't be able to do what was necessary if her plans did not work.

* * *

Aven was eager to continue her tour of the Shinra building. The place was enormous with its 70 floors, and as such there was simply not enough time to hit it all in one go. Each floor seemed to have its own unique design and purpose. There were a few Reno had insisted on skipping, but Aven insisted she wanted to see it all.

"And here we arriving at the floor of pencil pushers," Reno introduced as he, Aven and Rude stepped out into a huge area filled with cubicles with people typing on their computers or jotting down things on paper.

"Wow," Aven said much more giddily than your average human being. "So what do they do?"

"I dunno, file taxes or something like that," Reno said with disinterest.

"Hey, there, Reno," a female said, her head popping up over her cubicle as they passed through. "Haven't seen you in while."

"I'm a busy man, Victoria," Reno said with an easy smile. "But thanks for the cake. We should make one together some time."

"You're terrible!" Victoria said with a small giggle.

"Who's the kid?" the woman asked in amusement. The joke had flown right over the poor girl's head.

"Newbie," Reno answered with a sigh. "She insisted we tour every floor of the building...not like we should be doing other more pressing things."

"Admit it, Reno, you're enjoying a chance to get away from your work," Victoria simpered. "Well, if you're that bored you can always come visit me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Reno said with a small wink.

Rude was ignoring Reno almost entirely, being used to this kind of behavior from the red head. He kept a close eye on Aven as she began wandering around the around peeking into the cubicles to see what the workers were doing. Rude himself didn't find any particular interest on this floor. It was where all the tax work and accounting happened. The only reason Reno ever came around here was to flirt with some of the female workers to get out of taking care of his own tax work.

Aven completely forgot about her two chaperons as she roamed through the room completely enthralled with what these people in the tiny sections were doing. She was going in and out of each tiny office so quickly that she nearly missed seeing someone familiar. She had a double take for one of them and shouted in surprise. "Justin? Hey, I had no idea you were working here," she said with a large grin.

Justin started almost dropping the stack of papers he was toting. "Aven? What a surprise. Small world I suppose."

"Guess so," Aven said with a grin. "So… you're a pencil pusher?"

"Sounds like you've been talking to that rascal Reno," Justin said wryly placing the stack down on his desk. "I'm one of the head accountants. We play a much larger role than most give us credit for."

"Oh, well I'm with the Turks," Aven said lamely. She decided to leave out the part about being a trainee.

"I guessed as much when I saw your uniform," Justin said. "Hard to miss around here. But you're really different from the rest."

Aven shifted a little. "How so?"

"You seem to really care about everyone," he answered with a smile. "And you want to protect them."

"That's not too different from the others," Aven replied in confusion. "I know the others want to protect the people...it just doesn't always work out the way they plan."

"Hmm, I wonder," he murmured staring down at his paperwork. He shook his head before looking back up at her. "Listen, I was wondering…"

"Hey, Justin!" Reno hollered as he came striding up from behind Aven. "I see you met our newest member. Not a bad catch, huh? I won her in a tournament."

"Wh-what?" Justin said obviously confused.

Aven glared up at Reno clearly wanting to say something insulting or scathing but unable to find the words. Finally she settled with just slugging him on the arm.

"What you did was a cheap shot and you know it," she finally said, the hit she gave him allowing her to find her words. "It wasn't even a real fight. If we had a rematch I'd win for sure."

"That's some confidence," Reno drawled with a lazy smirk. "I'll have to take you up on that then. Just don't make any promises your ass can't catch."

"Reno, must you use such vulgar language in public work area?" Justin asked curtly. "And in front of a lady too."

"Don't be such a stiff," Reno said before poking Aven in the head. "Come on, tour of this floor is over."

He and Rude began to head towards the exit. Just as Aven was about to follow, Justin caught her. "Aven, would you perhaps… like to accompany me for lunch sometime?"

"To lunch?" she asked surprised. Her eyes quickly scanned his face reading his hopeful smile and felt something twist in her gut. "Uh...sure. I'll let you know when I have a break. But, where would we go?"

"Just meet me here the next time you have a midday break and I'll just show you," he replied, relief showing on his face. "Just, try to leave your pals behind. This wouldn't be as much fun if we had a couple tagalongs."

"Okay," Aven promised returning the smile now. "Besides, if he did come, he'd probably be making fun of us the entire time."

"Hey! Come on newbie, or you'll get left behind," Reno called out from the elevator.

"Right, well I guess I'll see you then, Justin," the white haired girl said as she headed quickly to where the two Turks were waiting. "Have fun."

As the three once more entered the elevator Reno shifted beside her. "Hey, Aven, ya might not wanna get so close to that guy."

"Huh? You mean Justin?" When he nodded in affirmation she frowned. "Why not?"

"It's…" Reno paused as if to choose the right words to say it. "He and our work won't mix very well."

"Because I'm a Turk and he works on taxes?" Aven asked even more confused. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, just… You know what, don't worry about it." The serious look was gone, replaced with a grin.

Aven was extremely confused by his comment and sudden retraction. She attempted to see what his body would tell her, but all she got was a feeling of worry that quickly disappeared as if it had never been there. "Uh, so where are we going next?" she asked trying to change the subject and lighten the sudden heaviness of the atmosphere.

"Next floor is the exercise room," Rude answered.

"Yep, one of my favorites," Reno agreed with a grin. "If you can beat my record on any of the equipment, I'll acknowledge that you may have a chance at beating me."

"You're on!"

* * *

CM: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, especially since we're at the start of the story. I was going through a job transfer and we had to make some tweaks and adjustments to the story. Next chapter, some more training, and Tseng discovers something disturbing about the new trainee. Don't miss it!


	7. Shocking Discovery

**Chapter 7: Shocking Discovery**

It was a few days later as Aven left the exercise room wiping sweat from her brow. She had come close that day to breaking one of Reno's records...but still fell a little short. She was really looking forward to the more colorful tour of Midgar Reno had promised her and now was simply waiting for a time when the red headed Turk didn't have to work so he could deliver it. Until then, though, she was determined to beat his records no matter how long it took.

As she wandered down the hall toward the elevator, she spotted someone coming out the stairs door that she was not expecting to see. "Hey, Justin," she called out excitedly. "Coming here to get in a work out? I'm sure working in that tiny room doesn't give allow for pumping iron or running."

"No, it really doesn't," Justin replied with a kind smile.

Aven noticed from the short time she'd known him he seemed to smile quite a lot. It wasn't anything like Reno smug smirk though. His was always full of welcoming kindness and warmth and it made you want to smile too.

"Sometimes I come here hoping to build up my endurance a little, but I'm usually so swamped I rarely ever manage to make it in here." The results showed too. Justin wasn't quite what you'd call scrawny but Aven was willing to bet there was very little muscle mass under the dress shirt and slacks he wore. "Today is the same. I'm actually just grabbing something I left in my locker."

"Oh, alright," she acknowledged with a nod. "Does this mean you're on your lunch break?"

"Yep, as soon as I finish up here I'll be headed off to eat," he replied as a thought struck him. "Are you free now?"

"Well, I have to return for training around 3 today, but until then I can do pretty much whatever I feel like," she answered with a smile.

"Great, then why don't you wait for me right here while I go to my locker, and then we can go have that lunch," he suggested, his smile in full force.

Aven's lips curled back revealing her teeth in a wide grin. "Sounds good to me."

She watched Justin leave with almost a bounce in his step. She had to admit she felt a little giddy too. She had only been here for a short while and already she was making good friends. Nothing like what life use to be like back at home…. If only the old man could see her now! Would he be proud or disappointed in her? She knew Shinra as a whole didn't have a very good reputation but… even so, she had a debt to repay after all. And that was more important to her than what anyone else thought of her.

When Justin returned from his locker, he had a bag around his shoulder and an expectant smile on his face. "So, shall we? I don't have a lot of time to eat but it should be enough," he said happily.

"Even a little time is better than none," Aven replied with a shrug. "I heard that when on missions there may be times where I won't be able to just go get food. So, I think getting enough food while I can is a really great thing."

"That's a very optimistic way of looking at it," he said as they walked together to the elevator.

"I've had to learn to be optimistic," Aven told him. "My life was kind of a lonely one so I became my own best friend, as well as friends with some of the wild animals I came across."

"Ahaha, sounds like you've led a very adventurous life," Justin said with a light laugh.

"Yeah, I got into a lot of trouble because of it too," Aven laughed. "But still, because of it I made it here."

"And I'm glad you did," Justin murmured. Aven looked at him curiously at this but he didn't expound and moments later they had left Shinra's Headquarters before heading into the streets of sector 8. They traveled in semi silence unsure of what else to talk about while they walked. "Here we are." He had stopped in front of a small shop a few minutes later and held the door open for her. "Ladies first."

Aven refrained from a giggle. She couldn't even remember the last time a door was held open for her, if ever.

It was a small deli shop with signs insisting their ingredients were 'wholesome and fresh!' Behind the counter stood a robust woman in a white hat and apron. Above and behind her was the menu with different sandwiches, salads, soups, and deserts.

"Order whatever you want," Justin told her. "It's on me."

Aven's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, I can pay for myself."

"I'm sure you can," Justin said with a smile. "But I insist. Think of it as thanks for having lunch with me."

She blushed slightly but nodded in agreement and took a look at the menu. After a few minutes of thinking things over, she decided on a three meat sandwich a small drink and a small chocolate ice cream. She had wanted to get more, but refrained as it didn't feel quite right having him pay for that much stuff. Once their orders were placed, the pair found a table near one of the windows and sat down to wait.

"So, you eat at this place often?" she asked trying not to allow an awkward silence to arise.

"Oh, yes," he said with a nod as he sipped on some cream coffee he had bought for himself. Aven caught a whiff of it and her sensitive nose picked up the scent of cinnamon and hazelnut. "This is actually one of my favorite places. The food isn't terribly expensive and they food isn't too heavy."

Aven nodded in understanding. She'd experienced a sample of the cafeteria cuisine at Shinra as her palate had found the food to be heavy and rich. Good for a once in a while thing, but not something she wanted to incorporate into her regular diet.

"So if you don't mind me asking…" Justin said and his voice dropped very low almost as though he was afraid of being overheard. "What's a sweet young girl like you doing in the Turks?"

"Uh..." she was a little surprised by the question and the compliment but quickly managed to sort her thoughts. "Easy, I was saved by one once...a long time ago. Since then I've wanted to join sort of as a way of repaying that person."

"You do know what they do right?" he asked curiously.

"Of course," she said with a smile. "They do what they can to protect Shinra and the residents of the world. I know at times things'll get messy, but sometimes that's the only way to fix it."

Justin didn't seem entirely convinced by her words but he smiled encouragingly none the less. "Then I wish you the best of luck. Just know that if anything is bothering you or you need someone to talk to, I'll always lend you an ear, okay?"

Aven nodded unable to help return the smile. "Sure, okay." Suddenly, Reno's unbidden words rang through her mind:

_"Ya might not wanna get so close to that guy."_

Aven shook her head, banishing the voice from her mind. Reno didn't know what he was talking about. Justin was a good guy. She knew, because she had that sixth sense about people, and it had always steered her well. She took a long sip from her hot chocolate, relishing the taste.

A serving lady brought them their food and Aven eagerly dug in.

The next few minutes were devoid of talking as the two had filled their mouths with food. When Justin was halfway through his food, he glanced up hearing the door open and nearly choked on it when he saw who had entered. Aven heard him choke and asked if he was alright but was suddenly distracted by the look on his face. She turned around in her seat and saw the newcomer, who had in turn noticed the pair.

"Hey, Aven, so this is where you ran off to," Reno greeted as he walked over to the pair's table. "Enjoying your lunch?"

"Yep, the food here is delicious," Aven answered with a smile. "And guess what, I almost beat your record on the leg press today."

"That so?" he replied cocking his head to the side a little. "But you know, almost doesn't cut it."

"Just you wait," Aven warned. "I'm gonna pay you back for what you did."

"Sure, sure," Reno said waving away her promise for vengeance before patting Justin on the shoulder. "Spunky ain't she? A real _prize_."

Aven's scowled but ignored his jab and scanned the place for Rude. She spotted him standing idly by and she had to smile. Even when he was just standing doing absolutely nothing he still looked amazingly awesome! Who knows? Maybe she'd by as cool as that one day.

She turned to look at Justin, noticing he'd been completely silent the whole time. He was gripping his mug so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"Oh, by the way, Aven," Reno said suddenly in a businesslike tone. "Boss wants you back at HQ 1500 sharp." He paused. "That's another way of saying 3 o' clock. Don't make the mistake of being late."

"Yeah, I know," she grumbled glancing at her watch. The expected hour was a scant thirty minutes away.

"Catch ya later, lovebirds," Reno said with a cheeky grin and a wave. Justin flushed a bright pink and Aven glared at him. She was startled by the serious look she was met with as he added in a lower tone, "Don't forget what I told ya." Then he smirked and gambled off towards his partner.

Aven sighed heavily as she watched the pair leave before turning back to her lunch companion. "Sorry about that, he can be such a pain sometimes," she murmured shaking her head. She took a couple bites of her food before realizing that he hadn't moved from his uncomfortable position. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he muttered loosening his death grip before taking a sip. "I just get nervous around the Turks is all."

"You don't seem to be nervous around me," she pointed out, still a little confused by his apparent fear of her two trainers.

"That's because you're different," he answered finishing up his lunch. "Your smile is more genuine."

Aven didn't know what to say to this so she instead silently accepted the compliment and finished her tasty sandwich and then started on her ice cream. The two returned to HQ together and when the elevator reached his floor the two parted ways.

"I hope to see you again soon," he said. "Stop by to visit anytime."

"Thanks, I will," Aven promised. The elevator door closed, shutting him out of view and continuing its ascension to where she was suppose to report in less than five minutes.

She couldn't help but allow her mind to focus on the weird interaction between Justin and Reno as well as the red headed Turk's warning. No matter how many times she went over it, she couldn't understand why he said it or why the pencil pusher had shown either fear or anger at the Turk's presence. Moments later, she walked into the main office with one minute to spare. She noticed that Reno and Rude were already there as were Tseng and Veld.

"Hi guys! So why the sudden call back?" she asked upon entering. Then she met Veld's eyes and quickly looked to the floor before adding, "Sir."

"Glad you could make it, Aven," Veld said as a testament to her punctuality. "Today you are in for a special treat."

"Your training today, Aven, will simply be one of evasion," Tseng explained. "You'll be facing off against Reno and all you have to do is avoid all of his attacks. Both from his materia and main weapon."

"Cool, sounds simple enough." Aven was grinning widely looking forward to the session with great anticipation.

"You're gonna have to be quick on your feet to avoid me," Reno warned. "Don't lower your guard for a second, or I might accidentally kill you."

Aven looked at him and while he was wearing his usual smirk she wondered how much of that was supposed to be a joke. Especially since no one else laughed or smiled. She knew Reno was a tough customer but… and this new thought partly agitated her. Had he been holding back in that arena?

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and followed Reno into the training room. Once inside, she stopped where she was and faced Reno who was already on the other side of the room. She was sure she'd be able to avoid his attacks just fine...but the question was for how long.

"This training will go on for two hours," Tseng's voice could be heard on an intercom. "Or until Aven can no longer defend herself. Reno, use your discretion."

Aven felt something shift in her stomach at this statement and it only got worse when she saw the serious look on Reno's face as he nodded his understanding. A few seconds later, the training room vanished around her to be replaced by a rocky mountainous looking area.

"Here's your terrain for the session," Tseng's voice sounded again. "Begin."

Reno wasted no time. The moment Tseng gave the word he was already on her, his footsteps swift and almost soundless across the hardened dirt. His weapon was already in his hand and extended to full length. She hadn't even seen him draw it.

Aven couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. She'd grown up in rocky mountain areas. It gave her a little more confidence she could pull this off and do it well. She ducked and dodged a few of Reno's swings, his baton whistled past her head with enough force to smash her skull open. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his leg come up and she raised her arm to block her head.

The force of the kick sent her down but she used the momentum to tuck and roll and she was right back on her feet. He gave her no time to recover and aimed at her with a downward swing. She turned pivoting out of the way and around him. Then she made a B-line for the rock wall, sprinting hard and fast. With a great leap she landed onto the uneven cluster of rocks, leaping from here to there as adept as a mountain goat. Growing up she'd learned how to judge the sturdiness of the terrain by sight alone. She made sure to keep the red head in her sights all the while.

She thought she was doing fairly well keeping the red head away from her as much as she was, until she saw the tell tale glow of a materia and watched the ground she was about to land on disintegrate from the impact of the fire. She only had a second to find a new landing and discovered a tiny one that was barely visible beneath the crumbling earth. In that scant few seconds she managed to lengthen her stride just enough to plant her foot on the small landing, find the next place to perch and fly through the air towards it.

All the while Tseng and Veld were watching the progress on the monitors. Rude had been sent on a solo mission the moment the other two had left for the training room leaving the two leaders alone.

"She's quite impressive," Veld commented with a smile.

"It would seem so," Tseng answered, watching the young girl intently. "And against our fastest no less."

They continued to observe as Reno scaled the rocks with extraordinary speed, using both his hands and feet to swiftly navigate the uneven and unsteady surface. He switched out his materia in a second and shot a bolt of lightning her way. She ducked down and the lightning sped over her head blasting the rock behind her.

"He seems to be enjoying himself," Veld said noting the grin that was plastered on Reno's face.

"It's not very often he has an opponent worth testing his skills against," Tseng stated knowingly. "She may not be physically strong as Rude is, but she's perceptive, adaptable, and dexterous, much like he is."

"It's a good way to test their skills," Veld agreed. "Similar techniques can make one become better."

Tseng nodded and continued to watch, his attention focusing on her appearance as well as her movements. "Her eyes concern me though," he murmured after a watching Aven keep from landing in point blank range of Reno and flipping to dodge his blow. "They almost seem like...mako eyes."

"Ah, you noticed," Veld said, though he of course expected no less from his second command. "Yes, it is indeed an anomaly. She had those very same eyes when I encountered her several years ago, so it is hardly a recent occurrence."

"That long?" Tseng asked in surprise. "I assume they aren't her natural color."

"No, at the time they only held a small hint of it," Veld answered. "It seems it's gotten worse over the years."

"Worse," Tseng repeated watching the pair continue their fight. "If she did indeed undergo a mako bath...do you think her hair color is another side affect or simply a coincidence?" He was worried, naturally. If no one else in Shinra noticed her differences, the head of the science department surely would if they were to ever meet.

"I doubt I need to tell you this, but as I'm sure you've gathered, it would be wise to keep her out of the science division's radar for the time being," Veld stated in a grave tone.

"Sir," Tseng said looking to his superior with his dark eyes. "What about medical tests? If there are any abnormalities…"

"I've already taken care of that," Veld told him with a clandestine smile. "The rest will be up to you. Keep a close eye on her and if there are any further aberrations, inform me immediately."

Tseng inclined his head once in understanding. "Of course, sir." He refocused his attention to the fight which was still going in full gear, neither party having lost pace by any means.

Reno had equipped yet another materia and with a blue glow the entire area on which he and Aven stood became iced over. Aven looked a little troubled by this. It was one thing to be negotiating a rickety cliff side, it was another to do the same thing when the surface she stood on was now slick with frozen water.

Reno on the other hand was accustomed to fighting in an endless variety of conditions and was starting to gain the upper hand as Aven worked to keep her balance and not slip.

It was clear she had no chance though as Reno appeared suddenly very close to her and she reacted by leaping back only to lose her footing on the landing. Reno saw his chance and released a fire attack that hit her squarely in the chest sending her flying into the mountain wall. He paused for a moment after trying to ascertain if she was alright or not and was surprised when she easily pushed herself back to her feet and prepared for the next attack.

By this point Tseng was on his feet in surprise. He had stood up when the attack hit and for a moment just stared at Aven as she got to her feet seemingly unscathed. Then he quickly paused one of the screens and rewound it to the moment of impact as Veld watched on curiously.

When Tseng had the desired moment, he paused it again and had the monitor zoom in on Aven before removing the smoke caused from the impact. What he saw was not very encouraging.

The image showed Aven's hair and eyes glowing with an incandescent radiance that was unmistakably mako. Also the fire from the attack seemed to be embracing her rather than harming her, almost as if it were merging with her.

"It looks like…" Tseng hesitated unsure of his own analysis. "…She's absorbing it."

Veld came up closer to Tseng's side in order to gain a better view. "Yes, it does," he agreed, his voice taking on a very serious tone. He continued to stare at the image trying to decide what to do about it. If the image in front of them was ever witnessed by anyone from the science department or anyone from SOLDIER she'd lose her position as a Turk...and he knew it. "Tseng, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this doesn't leave this room. Until we know for sure what caused this and what further abilities exist if any, not even she can know."

Tseng nodded that he understood. He didn't care to imagine what would become of the young child if the wrong people found out.

Not long after the little discovery, they reached the two hour mark and Tseng's voice was once again heard saying the session was over. Aven groaned with disappointment but accepted it and started heading to the door along with Reno, her breath coming in pants.

"Having problems?" Reno chuckled, not breathing hard at all.

"N-no, just getting my second wind," Aven replied with some difficulty.

"More like your fourth or fifth," Reno laughed as they exited the room to find Tseng outside the door waiting for them.

"You performed well today, Aven," Tseng told her in professional tones. "Please see that you continue all your future training sessions and missions with the same smart performance and attitude."

Aven straightened up and gave a slightly over zealous salute. "Yes, sir, Mr. Tseng!" she said looking overcome with humility. "I will do my best! No, better than my best!"

Reno covered his mouth to hide his snickering.

Aven waited until Tseng turned around then she punched the red head in the arm. "You two are free for the rest of the night," Tseng said without turning around making Aven go back to standing at attention. "Just stay out of trouble."

"Sure thing, Tseng," Reno replied with a wave while Aven just nodded despite knowing he couldn't see her.

"Well...I guess if that's it I'll just get back to the exercise hall," Aven murmured with a shrug. "No sense in letting the free time go to waste."

"You do that," Reno said stretching up his arms and releasing a loud yawn. "I'm gonna go sleep."

"Already?" Aven asked rather perplexed. "But it's only 5:30."

"Sleep don't come easy or often around here for some of us," Reno told her. "You take it when you can get it."

"Hmm...I'll keep that in mind," Aven replied with a smile. "Until I have to deal with that though, I'm going to keep training so I can beat you."

Reno shrugged and started down the hallway while Aven went in the opposite direction. She knew he didn't think she'd ever beat him, but she was determined not to give up.

* * *

CM: Hm, how curious. What could this new little development mean? What do you think Shipponut?

Shipponut: Well she finally got a chance to show her trainer how much she's grown, but ended up showing more than her skills. Will the Turks be able to keep her secret under wraps? Only time will tell. So have fun reading until you get that answer. :D


	8. Strengthened Resolve

**Chapter 8: Strengthened Resolve**

Over the next week, Aven's training was alternating between fighting against Reno and simulated missions. Several of the missions involved sneaking into a location, tracking down a person of group of persons, patrolling for suspicious activity, and stopping assassination attempts. A few she'd come very close to failing, but managed to pass by the skin of her teeth. The best part was, she managed to avoid killing anyone in any of them. How was that for accomplishment? She had to admit, between the simulations and fighting Reno, she could feel her reaction time and her stamina improving every day.

On her off time she would either exercise or visit with Justin, who was only too happy to see her during work hours. Sometimes Reno and Rude would take her out to eat, though she had to limit herself to what she ordered. All in all, things were going nicely in her world.

She couldn't deny though, she was getting a little impatient. As exciting as being a trainee was, she really wanted to get out onto the field with the rest of them. There was no way Tseng, Reno and Rude were the only Turks at Shinra and she was dying to meet them all. At one point after a training session she asked out loud to herself how long they were planning on keeping her a trainee.

Tseng, who had been nearby at the time, overheard her rhetorical inquiry and answered, "Until we believe you're ready. Not before."

At that was it. She figured there was really no point in bringing it up again, so she just followed through with whatever was asked of her.

Around the start of the following week, Aven found herself back in the training room. It was late morning and she had been doing some major stretches for a while now, trying to ease the pain she felt from her sore muscles. She highly regretted working out so much after training with Reno. Her body was in such pain that when she had tried to get out of bed she nearly fell over. By now, however, she had stretched her muscles out enough where she could freely move without causing herself even more ache. About the time she finished, she had received a call from Tseng letting her know that she was expected to appear at the training room for another round. She could feel her body screaming out in protest at the very idea, but she didn't argue and was actually looking forward to what came next.

She had been the first one to the training room and was waiting patiently for Tseng to arrive with whatever her training would be this time. After a few minutes, the door behind her opened and Tseng's voice echoed into the room. "Aven, go ahead and step inside so that we can begin," he said in his calm cool voice. Aven did as she was told and quickly stepped through the door immediately looking around for what she'd be facing this time around.

Rude was there waiting for her, pulling on his fighting gloves, looking as deadpan as always. Aven was just a tad nervous. She'd yet to see what Rude could do, and wondered if he was even tougher than Reno.

"So you're my training partner today, Rude?" she asked him.

He merely nodded in answer. Aven bit her lip. In this situation those shade were troublesome. She couldn't tell what he was thinking at all. Suddenly the scenery shifted around them, and Aven almost lost her balance when the floor suddenly turned soft. A quick glance around and she saw they were on a sandy beach.

She took a moment to admire her surroundings noticing that nearby was what looked like the ocean. She was so enthralled by the scene before her she nearly missed Tseng declaring the start of the training. In an instant, Rude was almost on top of her as his fist shot out aiming right for her head. She managed to get her bearings well enough to duck at the last second feeling the rush of the wind as his fist passed her ear. She quickly rolled back up to her feet and threw her guard up as quickly as she could realizing it would simply be another dodge the attacks session. Though, now she was wishing she'd paid more attention to what Tseng had said before hand because she wasn't sure if materia would be used as well.

The instant she was back on her feet, Rude pivoted around aiming another punch for her stomach which she dodged to the side of. Just as she moved out of his way, she felt her foot sink deeply into the sand, failing to allow her the solid ground she needed as a launch point to get away. Next thing she knew, her balance was gone and she was falling backwards into the sand.

There was nothing she could do as Rude's other fist came down with her. The sensation of being sandwiched between the ground and Rude's fist in her diaphragm was physically shocking and for a moment Aven panicked because she couldn't get a breath. Worse yet, Rude looked as though he might attack again. Forcing her aching body to move she rolled over and scrambled away and managed to draw breath again, wincing as her diaphragm expanded. She was undoubtedly going to have a huge bruise later on.

The small girl quickly got back on her feet, getting Rude back in her sights. He came at her with another combo of punches. Aven was beginning to learn why Rude was coupled to Reno. The guy wasn't as fast, but he was swift, steady, and powerful. He moved across the sandy surface with no issues of finding good footing. While avoiding his attacks, Aven watched his feet, seeing if maybe she could pick up on his secret.

As she continued to move as quickly away from him as possible, without tripping over herself again, she kept watching his feet. After a time she noticed that when one foot touched the sand, it came down flat footed putting the full weight onto the soul of the foot. Then when turning, he simply performed a grapvine step that would turn into a rotating boxstep. All the while his feet remained firm and in a flat angle keeping the possibility of slipping almost at zero.

Alright, so now that she understood what he was doing, she'd just have to try to mimic him. She focused on keeping her footing flat and not digging into the sand. It was harder than it looked, especially in mid-combat when she was trying to avoid getting pummeled. Every move she made felt slower and heavier and her feet were so used to heel toe movements.

When she'd backed up several paces, Rude paused for a moment drawing back his fist. Then with a downward swing he punched the ground send a shockwave and spray of sand her way.

Aven tried to quickly push herself away from the flying sand, but the shockwave threw off her footing enough where she fell again getting blinded momentarily by the sand that flew up. By the time she got her bearings, Rude was bearing down on her again and she quickly rolled as fast as she could out of his way while attempting to regain some sort of footing.

She managed to get back to her feet and immediately started focusing on keeping her feet in the right position. She got the impression that Rude was pleased with her reaction, but that didn't last long. She was quickly put back on defense as she dodged around Rude's blows. Each one got closer and closer to its mark, however, and she was sure he was figuring out how to read each movement. This was confirmed when after a particularly near miss, his other fist came out of nowhere knowing right where she'd be when she dodged and connected with her gut making her collapse to the ground in pain.

Aven clutched at her gut, trying not to be sick all over the sandy beach. Well, Reno had warned her to eat light before this. The small girl wasn't used to getting so beaten up like this. Then again, she'd never had to face such fearsome opponents before. She wasn't about to give up though, not yet. Rude, while not having relaxed his stance, was also holding back from kicking her while she was down. So, not only did she need to keep good balance, she also needed to be unpredictable. Her fingers closed down over some sand and she got back on her feet, ready for another go.

When she got to her feet, she squared off against Rude once more waiting for his attack to come. It came in the form of a rush which she moved around. She found that it was becoming easier to move on the shifting surface and she was even starting to gain some speed on Rude. Then, with a well aimed kick at her legs, Aven dodged to her right only to have his fist waiting to make contact with her head. Before it could reach its mark, however, she threw the sand that was still in her hand into his face giving her enough time to go under his fist and jump away from him a few feet.

Sunglasses or not, sand was a most irritating thing to deal with, because it got EVERYWHERE. Rude felt the sharp grains of sand clinging to the corners of his eyes, waiting to slip in and impair his vision. He might have suspected Aven to be a dirty fighter, even if she certainly didn't look it. Which was just fine. It didn't matter how she did it, so long as it got the job done, and she was learning just that. In spite of her tough front, he could tell she was spent.

"We're done," he told her, relaxing his stance.

Aven's eyes widened with disappointment. "Wha? But I was just starting to get it. Come on, just one more round? I can handle it." As if to prove a point she threw a few punches, but her body betrayed her as she winced from the pain of her abused diaphragm.

Rude shook his head. "You need to know your limits. Otherwise you'll only hurt yourself unnecessarily."

"Rude is correct, Aven," Tseng's voice stated from overhead and the beach shifted back into the training room. "The session is over."

"B-but," Aven tried to argue but another sharp pain shot through her gut and she resisted the urge to double over.

"Rest," Rude told her before turning and leaving.

Aven watched him go and collapsed to her knees once he was gone. "Why do I feel like I've completely lost," she muttered under her breath as she tried to get back to her feet. "At least with Reno I felt like I was almost on par."

"There are no winners during training," Tseng stated as he entered the room. "If you feel that terrible then you must truly feel that you did not perform at your best."

"Well...I do feel like I could have done better," she admitted finally pushing herself back up on her feet.

"You're not used to fighting on that sort of terrain, are you?" Tseng guessed.

Aven shook her head. "I've never even set foot on a beach before. The closest I ever got was desert but even then I didn't spend that much time on it."

"It is difficult to readjust to something you are unfamiliar with," Tseng explained as he led her out of the training room and out into the hallway. "However, given the circumstances, I feel you handled the situation adequately. You were able to pick up on your opponent's movements and apply them."

Aven blushed a little at the praise and tugged at her hair. "Ah... well…thank you, sir."

"You will need to learn to adjust to any surrounding, because you never know when or where you'll be when trouble finds you," Tseng told her. "Remember that."

"Right," Aven nodded keeping in mind that he did think she did well. "I'll keep that in mind from now on."

"Good, you're free to rest for the remainder of the day. You'll have your next simulation training tomorrow. Don't be late."

"Yes, sir," Aven said with a salute, watching him leave. _'Another simulated mission... wonder what it'll be this time?'_

As she turned to head back to her room, she nearly fell backwards when someone was right behind her. "Aw, hell, did I miss the whole thing?" Reno asked looking disappointed.

Aven nodded, moving her hand away from her stomach. "Yeah, it ended about five minutes ago."

"Shoot, and I was looking forward to seeing how you managed against Rude," he sighed rubbing the back of his neck and yawning. "Instead I slept right through it."

"Well, there's always next time…" Aven began but stopped short when Reno lifted both of her shirts up to look at her stomach. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked backing away enough to where the cloth was pulled free from his grip.

Reno shook his head. "I was right… he pulled his punches with you."

"That was pulling his punches?" Aven asked in surprise. She'd never felt anything hit her as hard as he did. "You're pulling my leg right?"

"Nope, if he'd been going all out, ya would have ended up with a couple cracked ribs and some serious bruising," Reno answered shaking his head. "He's such a softy when it comes to fighting women."

"Right," Aven muttered thinking back on her fight. After Reno's little explanation she realized that if he had been going all out chances were she wouldn't have avoided a single hit.

Her sudden depression must have been showing on her face cause Reno went up and patted her lightly on the head. "Hey don't sweat it, he pretty much holds back on every fight. Unless he's deliberately trying to hurt them at least," he said in his laid back manner attempting to be comforting.

Aven looked up at him. "You weren't holding back too, were you?"

Reno smirked. "Look, we've been at this longer than you have. Sure, you fought in an arena for a while, and you've got some skill out of it, but most of the guys you see in there, all they know how to do is throw their weight around. It also doesn't help when you probably never had real training, right?"

Well, she couldn't deny that. She shook her head in answer. "No… this is my first real training."

"Then you better be ready for hell, cuz that's what Turk training is," Reno told her with grin. "What you've experienced so for was the bunny slope of the training." At the horrified look on her face he laughed and ruffled her hair. "No worries, I think you'll walk away from it just fine. I wouldn't have brought you here otherwise."

Aven smiled a little at that. "Right, well I need to get going. I wanna be good and ready for tomorrow's training."

"Sure thing... oh, I almost forgot…" He pulled out his EMR and pointed it at her stomach. "Cure." Immediately the pain in her stomach lessened and then quickly disappeared and she sighed in relief. "I've dealt with Rude's punches before. They're a real bitch, but I bet ya feel better now right?"

"Yeah," she nodded enthusiastically, suddenly feeling much more energetic. "Thanks, Reno!" She waved goodbye to him as she actually ran right out of the training area.

"Okay...I could have sworn all I healed was her stomach...not her exhaustion," he thought watching her run off. "Where'd she suddenly get all that energy?"

* * *

The next morning ended up being a free period for Aven. They must have decided that she needed the extra time after dealing with Rude's blows to recover. So, until later that afternoon, she spent her time in the workout room pumping a bit of iron and attempting to beat Reno's records. She was unsuccessful but she did make some headway and spent the rest of her time relaxing in the TK and firing a few rounds in the shooting range.

Around four in the afternoon, she got the call from Tseng telling her to return to the simulation chamber. When she arrived, she entered the room which had already been shifted into her newest mission.

"Are you prepared?" Tseng's voice asked over the sound system once she was inside.

"Yes sir."

"This will be your final simulation," he told her frankly. "This particular mission has more of a sense of realism to it so don't let your guard down. The simulation will end when you either rescue the hostage, or the hostage dies."

"Understood."

Aven took a quick gander at her surroundings, finding herself in some sort of corridor. She would guess it was underground since there were absolutely no windows to be found and the walls were lined with piping. It was also rather damp and chilly. The hall was lit with fluorescent bulbs, some of which flickered spookily.

Licking her lips, she took a deep calming breath before moving forward down the hallway. Aven had to tread lightly to avoid her footsteps echoing or grinding on the concrete floor. The hall stretched on for what felt like forever when it must have only been roughly a few several yards.

When she at last reached its end, she was a little dismayed to find it branched off in different directions. After a moment of deliberation, she decided to take the left path. As she cautiously continued on, she kept her ears sharp for any sounds indicating she wasn't alone.

Somewhere down here, a hostage was being held. She needed to find them without getting spotted and caught herself. Someone was counting on her to get them out safely. She couldn't let them down.

As she neared the end of the corridor, she started to hear sounds of conversation. She paused when she reached a large metal door with light coming from underneath it. Taking a slow calming breath, she slowly slid up near the top where a small window sat and peaked inside. The room on the other side was pretty small and consisted of only a few meager furnishings where two men sat playing cards.

"I still can't believe we managed to get a hold of one of them," one of the men stated. He had dark brown hair and spoke through a thick mustache.

"Yeah I know, talk about a lucky break," the other muttered throwing down a few cards and taking the same number from the stack in the middle. He was larger set with light blonde hair. "What are the odds that we'd find one of them injured and unconscious?"

Aven kept hidden out of sight. The two fell into a lapse of silence as they each placed down some money. She was about to move on, thinking there wouldn't be any more to learn here when the blonde spoke again.

"I just wonder what the boss plans to do with him," he murmured out loud.

"Who knows? Probably torture him for info," the other stated before revealing his hand. "Call."

"Aw, dammit," the guy muttered, throwing down his hand. Aven figured he must have lost.

Sneaking away from the door, Aven quickly hurried on. The place was like a maze and Aven ended up having to backtrack to the original fork once she'd reached a dead end. She needed to figure out where they would keep a prisoner.

She took a moment to think on this and realized that if it was her holding someone in this place, she'd keep them at least a few rooms into this maze with some subtle markers leading the way so she wouldn't get lost. Once that was decided, she began looking closely at the walls and floor of each passage for some sort of indicator. After a few minutes, she thought she found what she was looking for. A small piece of cloth was stuck to one of the walls in the middle right passage looking as if it was caught and torn off by accident.

Believing this to be a signal of sorts, she began to head down that path reaching a door shortly afterwords. She quickly discovered that there were no people currently in the room and silently slipped inside, making her way to the door at the opposite end. Just as she reached it, the handle began to rattle and she hid herself against the wall behind the would be opened door.

When the person stepped out, they came face to face with Aven. They were so surprised they didn't even yell as she threw out her hand. "Sleep," she commanded firmly but softly. The person's eyes drifted closed and she caught them, albeit with some difficulty before carefully setting them down. She carefully poked her head into the room, only to find it empty. So she dragged the unconscious body back into the room before shutting it again.

Now she really needed to hurry. The sleep spell wouldn't last forever, and sooner or later that person would be conscious again. Each time she got to a new room, she'd listen for any activity inside then check to see if it held the person she was looking for.

Each time she came up short. However, she noticed that every time there was another fork, she'd find another scrap of cloth on the wall of one of the paths. As the time she spent on the simulation drew closer to the hour mark, she suddenly heard a shout of pain coming from the other end of the corridor she was in. Remembering what the men from the first room had said about torture, she sprinted down the path, not caring if her footsteps were heard. When she reached the door at the end, she paused long enough to catch her breath before peeking inside and seeing a lone figure tied to a chair with a small girl resting nearby. She couldn't tell from the door, as it was so dark, but the shout from earlier had made her believe the captured party was Reno...and it filled her with worry.

Taking a quick moment to look for anyone else and not seeing another guard, she slipped inside startling the little girl awake and move closer to the hostage. "It's okay, don't be scared," she said quickly hoping to ease the child's fears. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to take my friend there and then I'll be on my way."

"I think not."

Aven whirled around to see a gun point at her face. She impulsively stepped back a little. The man who'd been hiding behind the door shut it firmly closed before flipping on the lights.

"What do you know, another Turk. This truly is our lucky day."

Aven heard a groan of pain from behind her and glanced over to see the captive was indeed Reno. He looked a mess. His uniform was torn, tattered and bloody. From the looks of things, he had several cuts and bruises, some of which looked fresh.

"Your friend here wasn't very cooperative. But perhaps you'll be more accommodating and tell us want we want to know." The man gestured to Reno with a jerk of his head. "Otherwise he dies."

Aven looked the man right in the eye. She wasn't sure how to reply, with Reno tied up and his life threatened she couldn't act recklessly or he'd pay for it instead. Plus, as fast as she was, she couldn't outrun a bullet; especially not at point blank range.

She quickly made her decision and gripped the small orb in her pocket before smirking at the man. "Sure, I'll answer anything you ask," she muttered. "When Sandworms learn to fly." With that she activated the materia in her grip freezing the man's legs to the ground and fully distracting him. Then she easily knocked the gun out of his hands and knocked him out.

"Well, that went better than expected," she chuckled nervously. "Okay, let's get you out of here, Reno."

"S-stop right there!" the little girl shouted. To Aven's immense surprise, she watched as the little girl held a gun out and pointed it at the red head. "I-If you get any closer… I-I'll shoot him!"

Aven faltered, taken aback at the sudden hard left turn this mission seemed to take. Why would they have a little girl doing something like this? It was just sick! "Please," the trainee implored softly. "He's my friend. I just want to take him home."

The little girl shook her head. "You can't! Mommy told me I had to watch the prisoner."

"Ugh…" Reno groaned stirring a little. He opened his eyes a little, his breathing heavy. "S-Squirt…" He looked over at Aven before glancing down near her feet. She followed his gaze and spotted the gun of the man she'd just dropped.

"He seriously wants me to shoot her?" she thought in surprise. "B-but she's just a kid. She's no older than I was when I first met a Turk." As she struggled with the idea, her thoughts fell on the interview questions she had with Tseng.

_"What would you do if there was an attempt on the president's life?"_

_"I'd stop him."_

_"What if it was a child?"_

At the time she'd said that she'd still do it despite the churning of her stomach...now she'd have to prove it. Slowly, so as not to startle the child anymore, she reached down and picked the gun up off the floor.

"Don't move!" the girl shouted again though her voice cracked out of fear. As Aven returned to her feet she saw tears falling down the girl's face and felt her heart clench.

"You don't have to do this," she murmured softly hoping to convince the child to put the gun down. Shooting her was the last thing she wanted to do. "No one would blame you for stopping. You don't have to hurt anyone."

"Y-yes I do," the girl exclaimed in a high squeaky voice, the gun shaking in her hand. "Mommy told me to! I-I have to do what Mommy says!"

"You would kill someone just because your mother told you to?" Aven asked her seriously.

"Yes," the girl sniffled, "because you guys are bad people. You're the ones who took daddy away from us!" Aven blinked, shocked by this revelation. "If it wasn't for you, daddy would still be with us and mommy wouldn't be so sad."

"You honestly think doing something like this will bring your father back?" Aven practically screamed at her. "Because it won't!"

This caused the girl to falter for a moment, but then her grip on the gun was reinforced. "I don't care… Mommy is all I have left. And I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy again!"

Aven watched as the girl's index finger rested on the trigger and Reno's eyes narrowed in grim acceptance. The female trainee knew her time was up, and the time for words was over. Gripping the gun with both hands, she brought it up and pointed it at the girl before closing her eyes and pulling the trigger.

* * *

CM: Wow... talk about your make or break situation. We apologize for not getting the chapters out faster. Truth is we are currently working on our other stories as well as a new story which will cover Reno's beginnings as a Turk. Something for you all to look forward to. :D And, to avoid leaving you on a grim note, here's an extra special. Enjoy!

* * *

"Why the hell do I have to be a hostage?" Reno complained as he sat tied up in a chair. The fake blood and bruise make up was making his skin itch uncomfortably, making him even more restless.

"I already explained this, Reno," Tseng's exasperated voice came in on his earpiece. "I want this simulation to be as real and believable as possible. No would you quit fidgeting and do your job?"

"How is this in any way believable?" the red head muttered. "Like I'd ever be stupid enough to get myself captured."

"Need I remind you of our first meeting?" his superior spoke pointedly.

"Hey, that was different," he argued. "I wasn't trained as a Turk and you freakin' shot me."

"Just make sure you make it believable," Tseng told him in mild frustration. "She's heading for the first room so it shouldn't take too long."

"Yeah, yeah," Reno grumbled as he shifted once more in his seat. "When she gets here I'll be like; Oh the pain, the agony. Please, save me."

"You will take this seriously or you will be allotted with over time for the remainder of this week," Tseng threatened.

Reno muttered a curse but didn't give anymore lip. He tapped his feet and his fingers rhythmically as he waited. He was getting rather bored and wished Tseng had at least allowed him to be unbound so he could entertain himself. After a few more minutes he began nodding off.

The next thing he knew, Tseng's voice was screaming in his ear. He shot awake shouting in pain.

"What the hell? What's the big idea shouting into my ear like that?

"You weren't answering," Tseng told him. "I wanted to make sure you weren't nodding off. "Now get it together, she's almost to your room."

"Finally," Reno said, ready for this thing to be over. Though he secretly hoped the squirt wouldn't screw this up. "Alright then, time for a show."


	9. Don't Look Away

**Chapter 9: Don't Look Away**

The sound of the gun going off echoed through the room and after a few moments of silence, Aven opened her eyes again and looked to where the girl was standing. She was surprised to find the girl was now lying on her back unmoving and Reno was staring at the corpse in surprise.

"I...I actually hit," she murmured surprised herself.

"YOU IDIOT!"

She turned to see Reno staring at her with wide eyes, all signs of fatigue gone. "What...?" she started to ask.

"You NEVER close your eyes when firing a weapon. You could have shot me!" he shouted struggling against the ropes.

"But I didn't," she replied in annoyance as she walked over to him seemingly unperturbed. "Besides I wasn't even aiming at you."

"With your lousy aim, ya might as well have been," Reno grumbled.

"Geez, even in a simulation you're obnoxious," Aven muttered. She figured since the simulation was still going, she had to free him. So she got to work on untying the ropes.

Once he was free, he stood up, rubbing his wrist. "About damn time. I was getting bored waiting for you to show up."

Aven wasn't listening to him. She'd glanced back to the child lying on the floor staring up at her with lifeless eyes, blood oozing from the bullet hole in her head. As she stared, a heavy realization hit her. This was the reality of what she would have to face in the future. The elation Aven had first felt was suddenly replaced with gut wrenching nausea and she nearly vomited on the spot.

"Hey, squirt, you alright?" Reno asked noticing her sudden lack of speaking. He looked over at her and noticed that she was staring at the corpse and her body was shaking slightly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she answered tearing her eyes away from it. "Let's just...get this mission finished." She started heading for the door, ignoring the suspicious look on his face and allowing the gun in her hand to go slack.

Before she reached the door, Tseng's voice came over the sound system. "You did well, Aven. Mission successful," he stated calmly. As he spoke the world around her shifted and disappeared, taking the corpse with it.

"Other than the closing your eyes thing, you really didn't do half bad," Reno murmured behind her.

She turned to look at him and her mouth fell open. "Wait, you were actually here? I thought you were a simulation like everything else," she exclaimed, though her voice sounded rather strained.

"Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you?" Reno said running a hand through his messed up hair in attempts to smooth it out a bit. It made no noticeable difference, however. "Tseng wanted to make it as real as possible though, so he had me stand in as a hostage."

"That is correct," Tseng affirmed entering the room to join the pair. He directed his gaze to Aven, observing her for a few moments before speaking again. "As stated before, Aven, this was your last mandatory simulated mission. Tomorrow you will be assigned your first official mission. If you pass, you will no longer be considered a trainee, and become an official member of the Turks."

The girl's eyes widened at the announcement and she all but forgot about her queasiness as she was flooded with anticipation and excitement. This was the best news she'd heard all week. Her dream… It was finally happening.

"Tomorrow you are to report to my office at 0800 hours where you will be briefed on your assignment," Tseng continued. "You may then decide whether or not to accept the mission. Know that if you choose to decline, all of your efforts to join the Turks will be rendered null and void."

"I understand," she said determinedly. "I've come this far though, I'm not backing down now."

"I see, then I will see you in the morning," Tseng replied. "You should go and prepare yourself now. You will not have any time once you've been briefed."

"Right, thank you," she said before heading for the door. She had a lot to put together. There was no telling what type of mission she'd be expected to go on the next morning. She had to be ready for anything.

After she left, Reno muttered, "Well, I'm gonna go shower off. This fake blood is making me itch."

Tseng watched him leave, notcing the subtle difference in his demeanor. Though he'd proclaimed many times to have confidence his candidate could meet and surprass their expectations, Tseng could tell the red head was apprehensive. Not surprising; this part was one of the hardest for the majority of those who joined the Turks.

He made a quick phone call before returning to his office. It was several minutes before his expected visitor arrived.

"You wished to see me?" Haruto asked, as he entered Tseng's office.

"Yes," Tseng said getting straight down to business. "Tomorrow I'm sending you on a special mission with our trainee."

"Ah, so the time has finally come," the other Turk said with a humorless smile.

"Here are the details," the Wutain said holding out a folder, which Haruto took.

After quickly flipping through the file, Haruto murmured. "I see…. This will be difficult for her."

"I expect as much," Tseng agreed. "Which is why I need you there to ensure it happens. While it is a grisly tradition, it is fundamental to carrying the burden of being a Turk. She must come to appreciate that. However, if she fails to follow through…"

"I understand perfectly," Haurto stated, adjusting his glasses. "If that happens, then I shall take the appropriate measures."

* * *

Early the next morning, Aven was up and out of bed ready to take on her first official mission. When the time finally came for her to go to Tseng's office, she made it there in no time flat with her weapon and a set of materia in place as well as a few essential potions, ethers, etc. Before opening the door, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Then she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Inside she immediately spotted Tseng and saluted her greeting as she closed the door behind her.

He nodded in her direction acknowledging that he accepted her greeting. "Before I brief you on your mission I need to introduce to you your partner for the day." He gestured over to his left where someone was standing that she hadn't noticed when she first entered.

He was a tall, very good looking man with dark hair and intense azure blue eyes. He stood with poise and carried a single sword at his hip.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you. I'm Aven," she greeted enthusiastically, holding out a hand.

The man smiled warmly taking her hand in his and kissing it gently. "The pleasure is all mine," he murmured smiling down at her through his glasses. His gaze lingered on hers for a time before he finished his greeting. "I am Haruto, but you can call me Haru if you like."

Aven wasn't sure why but she felt her cheeks grow a little warm at his introduction. She'd never been greeted like this before but she found it both intriguing and… kind of nice. He was such a gentleman, a huge offset to the scar he was sporting on his left cheek.

Tseng cleared his throat, retrieving both their attention. "Today's mission is of the utmost importance," Tseng began briefing. "We have reason to believe someone from Shinra is working to steal important classified documents. Thankfully we've managed to pinpoint the suspect's location. It is your mission today to go to the assigned address. If you indeed find evidence of the accused crimes, you are to eliminate the suspect on site."

A chill ran over Aven's skin. "Sir, by eliminate… do you mean… kill?"

Tseng stared at her, his dark eyes severe. "Yes, Aven. That is exactly what I mean."

Aven swallowed hard at this but kept her face as unreadable as possible. Killing was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew it was part of being a Turk and that it would come up eventually...she had just hoped that she had more time to prepare for it. She watched nervously as Haruto took the slip of paper from Tseng which held the address of the person in question.

"Just remember, there are to be no witnesses," Tseng added before sending them off.

His final statement had worried her even more than the one regarding the person's death. Did he mean that if any innocent people saw it happen that they'd have to be killed too? She could feel the sweat build up on her hands as she followed Haruto to the elevator in silence and out the front door.

Once outside, Haruto turned towards her. "I know it sounds impossible for you to deal with right now, Aven," he said calmly. "But believe me, it's better to get over taking a life now when things are relatively calm than to attempt to do so in the heat of battle where it's kill or be killed."

"I understand," she replied, knowing he was quite correct in his statement.

Aven chewed on her bottom lip as she walked through Sector 8 with him. By this time most people were either going to work or were already there. The morning was chilled and the sky had a gray overcast. Winter was doing its best to have its last stand before spring moved in. Aven kept her hands in her pockets to stave off the chill setting into her fingers. It didn't help much. With every step she took, the chills only seemed to get worse, like a storm across her skin.

The girl focused all her might on not thinking about what she was going to have to do. She kept in the immediate present, keeping alert and watching and taking in everything that she passed by. People passed them, most not giving them a single passing glance in spite of the fact the two of them together must have appeared odd. It was almost as if the people were willing them both out of existence.

In a very short amount of time the two Turks made it to their destination stopping in front of a smaller apartment complex with only 3 floors of rooms that took up a fairly large area.

"We're looking for room 45." Haruto told her as he led the way inside.

Aven did her best to look for the room in question, but a part of her hoped they wouldn't find the poor sap...or that they wouldn't find anything incriminating on him. After a time, her hopes were dashed as she spotted the number 45 next to a door and pointed it out to her partner. Haruto patted her shoulder telling her she did well before heading up and knocking on the door. Someone from inside shouted they'd be there in just a moment and the voice made Aven's heart almost stop.

"It can't be," she whispered under her breath.

Moments later the door opened to reveal Justin standing in the doorway with a smile in greeting of Aven which quickly disappeared at the sight of the other Turk. His face drained of color as the older Turk pushed his way inside. Aven followed him in without a word...she couldn't muster up the needed strength to say anything to him.

Justin cleared his throat and kept calm. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked Haruto.

The bespectacled man shut the door behind them and locked it before turning to Justin with the politest of smiles. "Indeed there is, Mr. Summers. All I ask is that you cooperate with us and not waste any of our time."

"What business could the Turks possibly have with me?" Justin asked as Haruto began walking around the place.

He looked to Aven questioningly and she almost immediately looked away from him. Echoes of what Tseng had said to her when she first came rang painfully inside her head.

_"You have a best friend who works with Shinra, and you discover that friend is a traitor passing along classified information to outsiders. What would you do?"_

Aven remembered her answer, saying she would bring them in. However, if Justin was indeed found guilty, there would be no 'bringing' him anywhere except to death's door.

"We have reason to believe you've stolen some rather important information from Shinra and are planning to release it," Haruto stated evenly as he looked over a bookshelf.

"That's ridiculous," Justin exclaimed. "I never…"

"Ridiculous or not, we are obligated to investigate," Haruto cleanly clipped him off. "However, if you're indeed innocent then you have nothing to worry about." His statement didn't seem to ease Justin's nervousness at all. Haruto turned to Aven, the serene smile never leaving his face. "Aven, would you mind keeping an eye on Mr. Summers whilst I investigate the rest of the apartment?"

She nodded silently not trusting herself to speak. It was the worse case scenario for her, but she was grateful that Haruto understood her difficulty functioning at the moment.

"Aven, you know I'd never attempt anything so stupid," Justin tried pleading with her silently. "If I was caught with something like that then who'd be able to help those kids out in the slums?"

Aven had to admit he had a point, but still she didn't really know him well enough to definitively say he'd never attempt it...not even for their sake. Unable to openly agree with him or tell him that she didn't know, she kept her mouth shut and watched as the older Turk quickly went through every nook and cranny of the place.

"Aven, come on...he's a Turk, he's going to find something whether I did something or not," Justin tried again. "But you're different from them...just give me the chance to prove I haven't done anything wrong."

He's a Turk? She was different? Wasn't she supposed to be a Turk too? It's what she's wanted since she was little. Aven opened her mouth to say something, but found she couldn't speak. There was nothing she could say to him, no promises she could give, no words to ease his growing fear. In the end, she was just as helpless as he was.

She heard Haruto return to the room and immediately looked to him. Her heart sank when she saw a manila envelope gripped in his long fingers. "It would seem you are not as clean as you've claimed, Mr. Summers."

Justin took a step back, his blue eyes wide. "I've never seen that before."

Aven managed to calm herself enough to force out a few syllables. "What is it?"

"Research notes explaining the entire SOLDIER process," Haruto answered calmly.

Aven's heart sank even further. She new the importance of keeping SOLDIER secret. There was no hope for Justin now. She watched Haruto reach into his pocket and pull out his PHS before calling Tseng.

"Yes sir. We found them...understood."

As Haruto hung up the phone, Justin found his voice. "I swear I have no idea how those got there," he exclaimed his eyes darting toward the door.

"I apologize, but you must understand we can't afford to take that chance," Haruto stated pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

Justin stood there shaking in restrained terror. Then he suddenly bolted towards the door. Haruto made it there first, blocking the door with his body and his sword pointed at the younger man's neck.

Aven was dumbfounded. She hadn't even seen him draw his blade.

"Not the smartest move, my friend," Haruto told him. "Aven, would you please take care of this?"

Justin stumbled back away from the door. He looked to the young girl, his last shred of hope. "Aven," he pleaded. "Please… I didn't do anything. You have to believe me."

Aven once again was at a loss for words. Something definitely felt very wrong about all this.

She looked to Haruto for a moment and he looked at her very seriously. "Aven...finish it," he ordered calmly. His voice now had a slight edge to it and she could tell this was not something she could argue.

"Aven...please don't," Justin whispered again, his eyes wide with hope and terror.

She bit her lip having many different voices run through her head until she quickly reached down, grabbed her whip and in a single motion had it wrapped around Justin's neck and pulled. He was very surprised by the sudden movement and ended up on the floor, but he was still breathing. She didn't snap the neck. Feeling very panicked now like she had just failed, she'd quickly pulled it tighter against his neck and placed a knee against his back to help cinch it. He coughed and gurgled flailing his arms about trying to get his air back and she pulled it even tighter and closed her eyes hoping it would all end soon.

"Don't look away." The cold command forced her eyes back open and she was again seeing Justin struggling in front of her. "This is the path you chose, never look away from what you do on it."

Aven watched as Justin's struggles became weaker with each passing second. Finally after several long moments, his body went flaccid. Aven stood frozen like that unable to move. It wasn't until Haruto came over to check for a pulse and then announced the job was finished she at last was able to let her own body go lax.

Aven slowly got to her feet releasing the hold on her whip with a little assistance from Haruto, her eyes never leaving the corpse on the ground. "Haru...how many lives would the info he stole have cost if it landed in the wrong hands?" she asked slowly, her voice sounding hollow and distant.

"Hundreds or Thousands," he answered watching her dry face carefully. "It would all depend on how well it was utilized."

Aven nodded silently and slowly forced herself to look away from the body. "Thanks," she finally managed to get out before turning towards the exit.

Haruto did as well. "Was that the first life you've ever taken?" he asked gently.

Aven was silent for a long time until she at last shook her head. "No… it wasn't."

"I see…"

The two returned to HQ, the older Turk keeping a very close eye on the young female.

They traveled slowly as Aven obviously wasn't seeing anything in front of her and the dark haired sword wielder had to nudge her when they reached the entrance in order to keep her from hitting the door. It was typical of people to become extremely detached from the world after their first kill, but he could already tell something was different with the white haired female beside him as she hadn't shed a single tear.

Haruto continued to help her through the halls of Shinra Headquarters all the way until they reached the Turk office floor, where she slowly took a seat and began to write her report. Haruto did the same, but every now and again he'd look up at her to see if she was going to continue holding herself up as well as she seemed to be. He was surprised when she finished first and watched as she slowly entered Tseng's office with the paper in her hand.

"Ah, Aven, how was your first official mission?" the Wutain Turk asked when she entered and closed the door.

"It was successful, sir," she replied in a deadpan voice.

"And the culprit?"

"It was Justin from Accounting," she answered her voice cracking the slightest.

"And who was the one who disposed of him?"

Aven faltered for a second, her eyes remaining in their unchanging, unseeing state. "I did...sir."

"Good," he murmured watching her face closely for a moment.

Her eyes appeared distant as if they were simply looking through him towards the gruesome scene she had left. Her body stood still and appeared to be completely under control. He had to admit, she seemed to be taking things a lot better than he was expecting. Then he saw it: the slightest tremor in her bottom lip, the movement of her throat as she swallowed repeatedly and the twitching of her hands. She was on the verge of a complete breakdown, but was desperately holding onto herself for as long as possible.

"Because of a job well done, you are free for the remainder of the day. However, keep your PHS on in case you are called."

Aven nodded numbly at his words and waited until she heard him say "dismissed" before she turned around and headed out the door. She walked slowly towards the elevator failing to see the encouraging smile Haruto gave her and pressed the button that led to the different rooms.

Once the doors closed making her completely alone, Aven felt a single stream of water begin to slip down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. There was still one more hallway she had to get through before reaching the safety of her room and she wasn't going to show her weakness just yet.

There was a soft ding as the elevator stopped at her floor and she quickly exited hoping to reach her room without any other encounters...but this was not to be. In front of her room door, Reno and Rude were standing around waiting for her to arrive.

"Hey, congratulations on your first big mission success!" Reno greeted, trademark smirk in place. "So, who ended up being the little thief anyway?"

Aven looked up at him for a moment and his smirk waned a little. "It was Justin," she answered, her voice at a much higher pitch now than she'd wanted. "But, don't worry, I stopped him before he could get anywhere." At the end of her statement she forced a smile onto her face.

This made Reno completely lose his smirk. Rude had directed his gaze more fully at this and even took a small step closer. Her voice was unnatural and despite the smile on her lips, he could easily see the liquid pooling at the corner of each eye.

"Aven..." he started knowing where it was leading.

"Well, I'm really tired from my mission so I'm going to bed," she said quickly, noticing that her voice was getting worse. She stepped around Reno, unlocked her door, stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a few fluid motions.

Reno went to open the door, but stopped when he heard the lock click into place. He glanced over worriedly at Rude then back at the door. Suddenly there was a soft thump of something hitting the door followed by a sliding sound that stopped when it reached the floor. She couldn't even manage to move away from the door once she was alone.

A few moments later, they started to hear the tell tale sounds of sniffling, short breaths, then finally the loud wailing of someone in complete distress. It sounded a little muffled so Reno assumed she had her knees up to her chin, but other than that she had nothing to keep the sounds of her breakdown from pouring through the doorway.

Not wanting to leave her alone in that state and knowing his presence wasn't desired, the red headed Turk took a seat on the floor and leaned his head against the door as her bawling continued.

Rude let him know he was going to get some lunch before leaving. Reno waited until things went quiet and when he was certain Aven wouldn't be leaving her room for a while he pushed himself up off the floor and went to where he knew Rude would be. On the floor just below the dorms was the Turks' Kitchen, but everyone just called it the TK. It was a kitchen/dining room/lounge area made special for the Turks to eat and relax. The pantry and fridge were always well stocked and the equipment was always kept at top maintenance.

As expected Rude was there making himself lunch, and surprisingly enough, so was Haruto.

"Yo, glasses," Reno said in greeting going straight for the fridge.

"Hello, Reno," Haruto replied as he sliced fruit for a salad. "It's always good to be reminded why I don't speak to you unless it's necessary."

"So, that Justin guy," Reno brought up as he searched for the milk. "Was he really guilty?"

Haruto took a moment to answer. "He was and he wasn't."

Reno raised an eyebrow at this. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"In other words no I don't believe he actually stole the documents," Haruto sighed. "But it was in his apartment which meant that he allowed himself to be used as a means for its exit."

"Right...I see what you mean," Reno nodded having finally found the milk and began pouring himself a bowl of cereal. "In other words he might as well have done it if he was stupid enough to let himself be the carrier."

"I wouldn't put it in such terms but essentially yes," Haruto replied finishing cutting up his fruit.

Rude finished making his sandwich and poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting down at one of the tables. He supposed Aven was lucky. Sometimes new Turks were assigned innocent victims depending on how they're assessed.

Reno's thoughts must have been on the same train because he asked, "Hey, Haruto, your first required kill was an innocent, right?"

"That's right," the dark haired Turk answered unperturbedly. He began scooping the sliced fruit into a single bowl. "Though I don't recall sharing that information with you."

"Eh, call it intuition," Reno said with a shrug as he stirred his cereal with a spoon.

"Then allow me to shed some of my own," Haruto murmured taking a bite of his fruit salad. "You're feeling Aven was lucky. Her's was guilty...to an extent."

"Hey, not bad," Reno laughed. "I knew those glasses had to be an indication of some intelligence."

"And again I'm left wondering why it is that I even remotely associate with you," Haruto sighed. He took another bite before glancing at the two and put his fork down. "So, how is she holding up? I'm sure you met her on her way to her room. How far did she get before losing that determined control?"

"Well, she managed to hold up in front of us until she got to her room," Reno illuminated. "Once the door was shut though, she cracked."

Haruto looked thoughtful. "Innocent or guilty, killing is killing, and I'm sure Aven knows that much. Though, when I asked her if that was the first person she killed, she answered 'no'."

"You're kidding," Reno said looking astonished.

Rude had to admit he was also rather surprised by this news. The girl didn't have the eyes of a killer, nor did she have the disposition for it. Then he thought about where she'd been before they found her. While the arena owners at the Gold Saucer did their best to prevent causalities, it wasn't unheard of for accidents to happen. That was the risk you took when entering the ring.

"The arena," Rude stated simply.

"Oh yeah...well I guess that would do it, but still," Reno agreed nodding his head.

"Even if that were the case," Haruto pointed out remembering what he'd heard about the girl. "This time would have been intentional...a whole other ball game. Especially in a mind as pure as that."

"Yeah, probably," Reno agreed with a shrug. "Still, this is what she wanted so she's got to live with it. If she can't pull past this then she's got no future as a Turk."

"I suppose you're right," Haruto murmured finishing off his salad. "I do wish that she'd decided on a different path though. I hate to see something so innocent get spoiled by something like death."

In truth, the other two agreed with him. However, all three knew they were all there for their own reasons. Each of them had their own story. They had no room to question hers.

* * *

CM: Yes, each of them do have their own stories. And we have every intention of revealing them. Though we're still debating on the when and where. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading. Please review if you have the time. :)


	10. New Rookie

**Chapter 10: New Rookie**

Aven had spent the rest of that day locked in her bedroom. She didn't leave for anything, not even for meals. For those remaining hours, she went over her time spent with Justin, from when she met him all the way up to her ending his life. She replayed it in her mind, letting the reality of it sink in. How foolish she had been. She thought she understood what she was signing up for. She never would have imagined she would be forced to kill someone she had come close to viewing as a friend. Tseng had warned her, and so had Reno. He had known about Justin's involvement. Why hadn't he told her?

By the time night fell, she was so tired from thinking she eventually passed out in her uniform. When morning came, she was awoken by a buzzing in her pocket. Wiping up crust from her eyes, she sat up in her bed and answered her phone with a dry and croaky 'hello'.

"Wow squirt you sound like you've got a frog in your throat or something." It was Reno and for some reason his voice only made her feel better.

"Sorry, I didn't sleep much last night," she murmured after claring her throat. "What's up?"

"We got a few things for you squirt," he answered easily. "Just come on out."

"I don't really think I should yet," she muttered sadly.

"You'll be glad you did," he told her in a sing song voice.

She sighed knowing that no matter how many times she told him no he was still going to bug her until she said yes. "Fine..." Slowly she pulled herself out of bed closing her phone as she went. She felt terrible and disgusting as she hadn't changed in over 24 hours.

Not wanting anyone to see her in the state she was in, she quickly took a shower and changed back into her suit. Once that was done she went to her door and pulled it open, squinting when the bright lights of the hallway hit her.

Immediately she felt someone grab her in a headlock and pull her tightly against them. "There's our new rookie!"

"Gah! Reno, wha… leggo!" Aven sputtered in surprise, struggling in his hold.

"I gotta tell ya, Squirt, ya had me worried a little, but I knew you'd pull through in the end," he said jovially as one of his hands ruffled her hair

"That's great, now LET GO." When Reno released and gave her a chance to breath, she noticed Rude was there also, holding what appeared to be two garment bags. "What are those?"

"You're new uniform," he told her.

"I got something for you too," Reno said holding a box in one hand and a thin billfold in the other.

Aven's eyes widened and she took the items from him. When she flipped open the billfold, she saw a card with her name and picture on it. It looked like the one she already had, accept instead of TRAINEE, the word ROOKIE was stamped on it. "So then, is this…?" she asked as she began opening the box.

"Yup, you're very own Turk PHS," Reno said with a nod. "I'll be sure to show you how it works later."

"You mean...I made it?" she asked in surprise looking at her new phone and ID.

"Yep, congrats squirt," Reno said slapping his hand on her back.

She coughed from the blow and had to take a moment before she straightened back up. "Thanks, I'm actually really surprised I made it," she told them honestly.

Rude silently handed her the garment bags and she took them mumbling her gratitude, not sure what to do next.

"Go ahead and get changed," Reno told her. "We'll wait."

Aven looked at him and then to Rude who nodded. So she retreated back into her room and changed uniforms. She took a quick look at herself in the mirror. The black suit made more of a difference than she would have first believed. It offset her eyes and hair a lot more, and she had to admit she felt more professional. After a short time of admiring, she slipped her new ID and phone into her pockets before exiting her room again. Reno and Rude were waiting, as promised.

"Not bad," Reno said giving her a look over.

Rude however stepped forward and did a quick adjustment of her tie. When she looked up at him, he nodded his approval.

"So, what now?" she asked looking between the two.

"What, you think a new suit and phone are all you get?" he asked in amusement. "Come on, we got a whole party for ya."

Aven didn't know what to say to this as he and Rude steered her away from her room and over to the TK. "Hey guys, guess who's finally left her room," he announced shoving her into the room.

"Uh...thanks," she murmured nervously as she looked around the room. She was surprised to see that Tseng, Haruto and even Veld were there. Over in the kitchen stood a young female Turk about her own age with auburn hair and a warm smile.

Upon her entrance, Veld stood from his seat and approached her. "Congratulations, Aven," he said, extending his good arm. "I look forward to seeing your skills on the field."

"Th-thank you very much," Aven stuttered, humbly allowing her hand to be firmly grasped by his. Then before she forgot she added, "Sir." She glanced around again, a little confused. "Um, if you don't mind me asking… is this normal?"

Half the people in the room laughed/chuckled. Veld was one of them. "I assure you, young lady, this is quite normal. Granted this is one of our more recent traditions."

"I-I see," she stuttered feeling rather honored. "I won't let you down."

"Haha, yeah we know you won't squirt," Reno laughed draping an arm around her shoulders once more. "Oh yeah, since you're now official you can meet the last member of the group." She looked up at him, her eyes widening in expectance as he gestured towards the other female. "This is Cissnei. She's actually as old as you are and your new neighbor."

"Wait seriously?" she asked looking back at him.

"Yeah, I guess we didn't mention it before but you get a new room too."

"You always did have a problem with the particulars, Reno," the young female stated before stepping forward, a friendly smile gracing her lips. "It's nice to finally meet you, Aven."

Aven blinked a few times as she stared at Cissnei before a wide grin spread across her face. "It's nice to meet you too! I didn't know there were other female Turks," she said getting all excited. "It's good to know I'm not the only one."

Cissnei let out a small laugh. "Yes, well, right now you and I are the only ones."

Aven was a little surprised at that, and for some reason it also made her feel a little more privileged to be there. "So… this is everyone?" she asked, glancing once more "There isn't anyone out on missions or anything?"

"Everyone is present and accounted for," Tseng assured her.

"But… that can't be," Aven insisted. "There has to be one more. I know, I met him."

This raised a few questioning stares. "Did you get a name?" Haruto inquired.

"Well, no…" she admitted. "But he was a really big guy! And he looked kind of scary, but he was actually really nice. And he had eyes like mine."

After her quick description, she looked around the room trying to see if it rang a bell with any of them only to find them all exchanging awkward glances. Even Rude was shifting uncomfortably. After a moment, she opened her mouth to say something else but Veld beat her to it.

"Aven, the one you described was a man by the name of Alistair who was a very talented Turk," he explained.

"You said _was_," she murmured feeling the lump return to her throat. "Why did you say...?"

"Because he ain't around anymore," Reno cut in. His voice sounded slightly harsh and uncaring, but without his smirk she could tell it bothered him too. "He died on a pretty high scale mission."

"Oh...I see," she replied staring at the ground now. This congratulatory party of hers really took a down turn and she knew it was her fault. She shouldn't have brought him up, but she'd really wanted to know...especially after his promise.

"Alright, what the hell people?" Reno spoke up after a few moments of bleak silence. "We're supposed to be celebrating here. Let's see some smiles, dammit. Cissnei, get the cake out, Rude you can light the candles, Haru, you didn't forget the booze, did you?"

"I brought the champagne, if that's what you're referring to," the swordsman replied.

It was like magic, everyone got back with the program, with Cissnei pulling a cake out of the freezer while Rude got out a lighter from one of the drawers. Even Tseng was pitching in by getting out glasses for everyone while Haruto got out plates and silverware.

Aven wanted to do something to help, but Reno just steered her over to the table where Cissnei set the cake down. The candles on the cake spelled out WELCOME and Aven couldn't help but grin stupidly as a bunch of emotions swelled up inside her.

Once she was sat down and the champagne was passed around to everyone, except Aven, Reno came up behind her and smacked her on the back again. "Well, blow em out, Rookie."

Aven looked at the candles for a moment before taking a large breath and blowing as hard as she could. The flames on the candles flickered and went out. But when she stopped blowing they reappeared and she got a rather confused look on her face. Since they were still lit, she blew again until she saw them fizzle out only to have them relight.

"Reno , I told you to get the normal stuff," Cissnei scolded as Aven tried yet again only to have them come back just as strong.

Reno meanwhile was laughing at Aven's perplexed expression as she continued trying to blow the candles out, only to become frustrated when they kept coming back.

"Gets em every time," he chuckled, only to receive a smack on the back of the head from Rude.

"Gah, screw this," Aven muttered. "Blizzard!" In seconds all the candles were frozen over, the flames effectively extinguished.

"Well, that is one way to do it," Haruto said in what sounded like approval.

"Alright then," Cissnei said with a smile. "Aven, you get the first piece."

Rude handed her the cake cutter and Aven took a moment to decide before cutting herself off a corner piece.

She gratefully accepted her piece and waited until everyone had one before taking a bite. It was a bit cold from her ice attack before but it tasted really good. "Mmm..." she sighed and wiggled a little bit in her joy.

"Well, here's the official welcome to the group, Rookie," Reno laughed as he held up his glass and the others followed suit. Then he drained his glass while the others simply sipped theirs' and Aven just smiled.

"Thanks guys, it's great to be a Turk," she said and laughed a little bit. Honestly, she'd never seen anyone gather like this; not for her anyway. It made her feel like she could do anything, as long as she had them.

* * *

After the party was over and everyone had their fill of cake and champagne, they each dispersed one by one to return to their duties. After once more congratulating her on her success, Tseng gave Reno a key as well as the order to show Aven to her new room. The pale haired girl followed the red head down one of the adjoining corriders. When he reached her new room he unlocked it and held it open for her.

"Go on, get a gander at your new place."

Aven was a little surprised at the small show of chivalry, but she took the offer and stepped through the door.

Inside she saw a large room with a big black couch in the center pointing at a 45 inch screen against the wall. The floors were covered in a soft off white carpet that matched the bare white walls and a single empty bookshelf against the far wall. Its maple frame sat squarely between two doors at the end of the room, the one on the left pointed towards the room next door, and the one on the right pointed towards the back wall.

She headed towards these doors and opened the left one, finding a large bathroom. Immediately to her left was a mirror and a counter with twin sinks that stretched to the other side of the room. On her right was a toilet that sat next to a tub large enough to fully stretch out in that had a shower head as well. And on the opposite wall from where she stood, was another door.

"That leads next door," Reno explained coming up behind her. "Which means you and your neighbor are sharing the bathroom. I don't think you should worry about it too much as she usually isn't here anyway."

Aven nodded silently once more as she moved away from the bathroom and headed for the door on the right of the bookshelf. In here she found a small wooden dresser painted white up against the right wall, a closet complete with hangers inserted in the far wall, and a queen sized bed sat with its head up against the left one.

"Oh yeah, before I forget, did you want me to show you how your PHS works?" Reno asked suddenly remembering.

"Uh, yes please," she answered turning to face him. He held out his hand and she placed her new PHS in his palm.

He took the phone and showed her the basic functions that she'd be required to know including her list of all their numbers just in case, the voicemail and the alarm. He also showed her a few of his favorite funtions; the camera, the texts, and a small game.

"Honestly, the only stuff you'll need to worry about is calls and the alarm," he told her once he'd finished and handed it back. "As for the rest of it, you can play around with it and see what you like. If you have any questions just ask Rude or me, we'll show ya."

"Thanks Reno," she murmured slipping the phone into her pocket. "And thanks for the training. It was a pain but it helped me get to this point."

Reno grinned. "Heh, I knew you'd thank me one day. I just didn't think it would come so soon."

"Why do you always have to be a jerk about everything?" Aven asked with a small frown.

"Who knows? I guess he must've have rubbed off on me," Reno murmured, shaking his head, eyes gazing down to the floor.

Aven stared at him questioningly, not understanding what he meant or who he was talking about. Without asking for permission he took a seat on her bed. He was wearing that expression again. No trace of a smirk, instead it was serious and brooding. She had to admit, it made him look really cool, but as annoying as it was she liked his smirk better.

"What's up?" she asked, sitting down on the bed with him.

"Well, when I brought you in I never once thought you'd be bringing him up," he answered honestly. "Who'd've thought you knew that old man."

"Were you...close?" she asked slowly not sure how to approach the topic.

"Naw, not really," he told her with a small laugh. "He's the one that trained me up before I became a Turk though."

"Really? I guess he did a good job," she told him with a warm smile. "Cause you're awesome."

At the comment, his smirk returned and he ruffled her hair a bit. "So, how is it you know him?"

"Well, I met up with him a few years ago and tried to convince him that I was Turk material," she told him sheepishly. "He basically told me I was too young. He did promise that a Turk would come get me after the war was over to recruit me."

"Heh, guess he must've saw somethin' in ya, kinda like I did."

Aven flushed appreciatively at the compliment. After a few more minutes of relaxed silence, Reno got up from the bed. "Well, if there ain't anymore questions, I'll get out of your hair. Ya might wanna think about moving your stuff over here. Then after I'd suggest getting some sleep."

"Yeah, okay," Aven said getting up and walking with him to the door.

As Reno began walking down the hall, he suddenly paused. "Hey, Squirt, do me a favor. Don't break down on me." He glanced back over his shoulder to look at her. "You're my candidate after all."

"I can't promise I won't," she told him honestly. "But even if I do, I'll always bounce back. I can't quit being a Turk after only just making it after all."

"Good enough," he chuckled before heading out the door. He was sure, she'd be just fine.

* * *

The very next morning, she awoke to her phone going off. She answered it quickly and woke up instantly when she heard Tseng's voice on the other line. He told her quite plainly that he needed her to be in his office within the next ten minutes before hanging up. Surprised by the sudden command, she lept to her feet and changed into her new uniform before sprinting off towards his office. When she finally arrived, she was completely winded and leaned on her legs trying to catch her breath.

"Perfect timing," Tseng greeted as she burst through the door. "I was just about to call you for being late."

"S-sorry," she panted. "It took a bit longer to change than normal."

"It happens but try not to get distracted," Tseng told her. "Now, your orders are simple: patrol Sector 8. If you see anything suspicious or unusual report immediately. This is a traditional exercise for all incoming Turks, however I want you to treat it seriously. A mission is still a mission."

Aven nodded enthusiastically but still keeping a sense of professionalism. "Yes, sir. You can count on me."

"Very good," he said. "Now are you fully equipped and prepared?"

After running through a check of her weaponry and the materia she had equipped Tseng gave her the go-ahead to head down to the sector and begin her mission. "Report in once you're finished covering the entire sector."

"Yes sir," Aven replied saluting before heading to the door. Before she left, she turned to back to him. "Um, what type of things should I be looking for?"

"For now, keep your eyes and ears open for any possible threats to the company," Tseng answered calmly. "Especially keep your eyes open for Wutains."

"Because we're at war right?" she guessed enthusiastically. He nodded silently and she smiled. "Sounds good. I won't miss anything." With that, she quickly left the room and headed for the elevator hitting the button for the first floor. The doors opened up about halfway down and Reno marched inside. "Hi, Reno," she greeted warmly.

"Hey rookie," he replied taking the look of her in. "On your way out for your mission?"

"Yep, sector 8 patrol," Aven replied resisting the urge to dance around in her excitement. "I can't wait to get started."

"Heh, let's hope that enthusiasm lasts," he said with a chuckle.

"So where are you headed off to?" she asked as the elevator reached the ground floor.

"I'm meeting Rude at the bar for a few drinks," Reno told her as they walked through the downstairs lobby. The secretary at the front desk waved at him with a wide smile on her face, and he in return gave a casual lift of his arm in brief acknowledgement.

Aven noticed this but didn't think too much of it. Once they were outside she turned to him. "Well, I'll see you later then."

Reno smiled and nodded. "Right, have fun, rookie."

She grinned widely at him before taking off down the street towards sector 8.

Reno watched her take off and smirked after her before turning around and heading for the bar with his hands behind his head. He was sure she'd be bored in no time and wishing she had something else to do. In no time he reached the bar and located Rude already sitting at the bar getting his drink. "Hey there pal, getting started without me?" he asked taking a seat next to the bald Turk.

Rude shrugged his shoulders and moments later the bartender came by and set two mugs of beer in front of them.

"Aw, you're too kind, partner," Reno said grabbing his beer and taking a long pull.

Rude snorted. "I knew you'd be late. You're never on time unless it involves work or women."

"So I'm a fashionably late kinda guy," Reno said with a grin. "And that ain't true about the women. Sometimes it's good to leave 'em hanging for a bit. Makes 'em a little more accommodating."

Rude didn't say anything in response but took a drink from his beer mug. He honestly didn't understand why Reno, or any guy for that manner could get with women they'd only known for a short period of time. Rude couldn't ever bring himself to be with a female unless there was a high level of mutual trust. The nicest thing Rude could say was that the kid wasn't a complete man whore; on the contrary. He was choosy about the women he was with, but he flirted shamelessly and without discrimination.

As if reading the man's thoughts, Reno piped up, "Don't be judgin' now," he said leaning back in his chair. "Not all of us can be perfect gentlemen like you, ya know."

Rude nodded signaling that he knew. "Just leave the new one alone," he muttered.

"What, you mean the squirt?" Reno asked looking over at his partner. Rude nodded once. "Don't worry about that, she's just a kid. Plus, she's way underage. Unless she really starts to grow in the next few years I won't bug her at all."

Rude sighed, but he knew that was about as good as he was going to get from the red head. He at least knew that until she was 18 he'd pretty much leave her alone.

Reno took another long drink, emptying his glass. "Speaking of the rookie, she's on her first patrol mission tonight." He stared up at the ceiling. "Man, I remember back when we had to do that. Tseng scheduled me for three in the freakin' morning. Nothin' goes on at that hour, boring as hell."

Rude remembered his first mission too, and like Reno said, nothing particularly interesting happened. It was just your routine patrol, one of the many that would follow in their line of work.

"I'll bet within the hour she's gonna get bored too," Reno commented out loud.

Rude doubted this, something about the white haired girl was extremely different and he was sure she'd hold her excitement for every mission no matter what. He found himself watching the redhead down several mugs of beer within an hour and after his seventh mug, he pulled out his PHS. Rude raised a questioning glance at Reno who had it flipped open and was typing away on it.

"The rookie's probably bored out of her mind...I'll help liven it up a bit," he laughed as he ordered another beer.

* * *

Over in sector 8, Aven was busy strolling up and down each street keeping her eyes out for anything suspicious. She had to admit, the patrol had lost some of its luster within the first hour, but it was still her first mission and she couldn't be happier. She was doing what she'd wanted to do since she was a kid and nothing was going to dampen her joy.

Her phone went off and she quickly reached into her pocket, wondering if it was Tseng checking on her progress. When she flipped it open she was surprised to find instead it was a mail message. She clicked the button to open it and read.

_"Hey, squirt. How's the mission going? Starting to feel bored yet? You got sent out at a pretty decent hour. Makes me wonder if Tseng's got a soft spot for ya. Lol."_

Aven stared at the last part of the message in confusion. What did 'lol' even mean? Why was he even messaging her? Surely she wasn't allowed to casually exchange messages while on the job.

She sighed shaking her head before closing her phone and putting it away. She continued to roam not really finding anything of interest along the way. Ten minutes later she heard her PHS go off again. She quickly took it out and sighed when she saw it was another written message.

"Heh, did you know Rude's head pretty much glows in the dark if you throw the right kind of alcohol on it. He looks pretty shitfaced though. You should see it."

Aven groaned and put the phone away but she had to forcefully keep herself from laughing. What on earth was he doing to come up with an idea like Rude's head glowing?

"He must be really drunk," she thought shaking her head as she kept on with her patrol.

Not five minutes later she got another message. For goodness sake, she thought pulling the phone out again.

"Rude and I just made a bet on who can drink more. Send me luck. I need a new watch."

Aven sighed and finally sent him a message back.

"I hope Rude wins. Now stop texting me while I'm on my mission."

She shut her phone and put it back in her pocket for the last time. Maybe he'd finally get the hint.

Her hopes were dashed when seconds later her phone went off again. She decided to ignore it this time and continued to go through her patrol. Within the next 20 minutes she was sure her phone had gone off at least 45 times. She'd lost count at 20. There was no way he could possibly be that bored. So she took out her phone and looked at the messages. "60 missed messages" flashed on the front of her phone. She groaned and went to the last one.

"Heh, I won but Rude got an admirer...he's a really big looker. He makes Rude look tiny."

She couldn't help it, she started laughing at that and sent a text back. "Is he really that big?"

Seconds later she got a response. "Yeah...he's dwarfing Rude and making him look like a kid in comparison."

Aven laughed again. "That's awesome. Send me a picture." She waited with baited breath until his message came back. When it did, she erupted with laughter.

Poor Rude she thought clicking out of the message and shutting the phone again. Though she had to admit she wasn't terribly surprised. He was rather handsome. She wondered what he would look like with hair. She tried imagining it but nothing she pictured looked right. Baldness suited Rude just fine.

Once she was done with the patrol, she phoned Tseng. "Sir, I'm done patrolling," she reported. "I didn't find anything weird or suspicious. Everything's clear."

"Very good," Tseng answered. "In that case you are free to return to HQ and retire for the night if you so wish."

"Thank you sir," she said and was about to hang up when a thought occurred to her. "Sir...is there any possible way to turn off your text messages without turning off the phone?"

The line was silent for a few moments before Tseng asked. "Reno?"

Aven nodded but realized he couldn't see her so she added a yes. "He sent me over 60 messages in a 2 hour time period."

"Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about receiving messages, but I will talk to him," Tseng promised. "He has a tendency to do the same to me. I just ignore it and erase them all when I get the chance."

"Thanks for the advice sir," Aven said. She said her goodbyes and hung up before heading back to HQ. She thought about trying out his idea about just ignoring them all, but later when she was home she would inevitably read them all.

* * *

CM: Well, after the previous chapter of depression, we thought some fluff was in order. So Aven's now an official Turk. However, many hardships are still to come, as she ingrains herself further into their world.


	11. Coping

**Chapter 11: Coping**

The scream seemed to release her from some evil hold as she shot up into a seated position panting heavily as she tightly gripped the sheets of her bed while tears continued to run down her cheeks. It took her a moment to realize that once again it was only a nightmare and she slowly pulled her knees up to her face. She let go of the bed sheets to wrap around her knees and silently allow her tears to fall onto the white sheets. Faintly she heard a door open and close but didn't pay too much attention as she was trying to rid herself of the images left behind by her nightmare.

Moments later she felt a weight on the side of the bed and a hand gently pat her shoulder. "Aven...are you alright?"

The voice was heard but it took a few moments for Aven to realize who was speaking and that she was being asked a question. Once that was concluded she took a moment to formulate her answer before nodding. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she choked. "I just...had another nightmare." She put her knees down and wiped the tears from her face. She hated showing how weak she was around others. "I'm a Turk though...nightmares are nothing to worry about."

Cissnei's soft brown eyes stared at her while her hand rubbed up and down Aven's back. "You shouldn't feel ashamed," she told her wisely. "When I first started out, I had nightmares every night."

Aven nodded and gave a small hiccup. "I just feel bad, waking you up all the time like this." This was the fourth time now Cissnei had been woken up by Aven's screams and not once did she ignore it. She came to Aven's room every time to make sure she was okay.

"Don't worry about it," Cissnei said giving the girl a hug. Even though Cissnei couldn't have been that much older than Aven, she seemed so motherly. "Would you like to go down to the TK and get something to eat? It might help take your mind off the nightmares."

"Yeah, maybe...maybe I'll run into Reno and get a laugh in or two," she said forcing out a soft chuckle.

Cissnei nodded and helped Aven get to her feet before heading into the living area and waiting for her to change. About 5 minutes later, Aven joined her with her suit haphazardly put on, the tie was askew and her hair was a mess.

"I know Tseng wouldn't approve...but right now I just don't feel like fixing it," Aven forced herself to chuckle again as she explained her look to a concerned looking Cissnei.

After that, the two of them left the room and she allowed Aven to walk into the TK on her own while she stood in the doorway and watched Reno greet her. "Hey, look who decided to join me on another night of no sleep," Reno laughed as he put down the concoction he was working on before she had walked in. "Want to see what I'm working on?" Aven shrugged and followed him to the counter.

"What...is this?" she asked feeling a smile spread across her face at the strange slop now sitting in a bowl.

"Leftovers from about five different restaurants," Reno stated proudly. "It actually doesn't taste half bad all mixed together. Wanna try?"

Aven shook her head. "I'll pass. I don't eat stuff if I don't know where it's been." She opened one of the pantries nearby and searched around for something to snack on. A lot of what was in it she'd never even heard of before. She settled on a small box of character crackers, small cookies shaped like moogles, cactuars, moombas, and other silly creatures.

"Not a bad idea," Reno said seeing her selection. "Hey, give me some of those. I can use them as a garnish."

"And you wonder why no one wants to taste your cooking," Cissnei jibed good-naturedly after pulling out a juice box from the fridge.

"Hey, I'm a good cook," Reno protested. She just laughed and he shrugged before taking a big bite of the mess of food. "Hmm...seriously you should really try it."

Aven and Cissnei both shook their heads no as they both found food they weren't to opposed to eating and sat down on the bar stools to start eating.

"So, another sleepless night then?" Cissnei asked Reno wanting to end the strange silence that settled.

"Yep...though I never really sleep so there's almost no point in asking," Reno pointed out taking another bite.

"You might not sleep but some of us actually need it," Cissnei replied taking a drink of her juice box. "I have a mission first thing in the morning...and won't be back for quite awhile and I'd like to be rested for it."

"Well then go back to bed instead of bugging me over it," Reno muttered. "Why leave your room if you want to be sleeping anyway?"

Cissnei glanced over at Aven who had bitten off half of a cracker and was crushing the rest of it with her finger...she clearly wasn't listening to a thing being said. She then turned back to Reno and shrugged. He got the message pretty easily. He'd heard Aven once or twice when passing by her door as well.

Cissnei cleared her throat. "Aven?" The white haired girl looked up at her name being called. "I'm going to head back to bed alright? You can come back when you're ready."

Aven nodded in answer and Cissnei finished off her food and drink before exiting the room.

Reno glanced over at her, watching her silently nibble. He took one of his Tonberry crackers and used it to break one of the crackers sitting in front of her. "My Tonberry smashes your Cactuar."

Aven looked up at him smiling a bit. "Real funny, Reno."

"Watch out, it's coming after you next," he said before poking her in the side with it. "Doink!"

The small girl let out a squeak as he hit a ticklish spot.

He grinned evilly feeling proud at having found her ticklish spot so easily.

"Reno, don't," Aven said quickly understanding what he was thinking as she slipped off the stool and used her hands to shield herself. His smirk grew as he used his speed to jab in at her side with the cookie again and again finding his mark no matter how much she squirmed and tried to dodge. The room was filled with Aven's squeaks and shouts of stop.

Eventually he cornered her on the couch which she fell over the arm of and stood over her with his smirk firmly in place. "Okay...okay you win," she panted trying to get her breath back. "What do you want?" She was smiling in full force now unable to hold it back from the tickle torture.

Reno took a step back and ate the cookie. "I just wanted that smile back," he stated with a shrug. "Ya ain't as fun when you're depressed."

Aven righted herself on the couch and unsuccessfully attempted to straighten up her clothes which were in greater disarray than before. "I'm not depressed," She insisted. "I'm just tired because I haven't been able to sleep very well."

"Cuz of the nightmares, right?"

She looked up at him in surprise as he went back over to the table and grabbed his bowl of food. "Did Cissnei tell you?"

"It's not exactly an uncommon thing," he told her bringing his food back with him to the couch and plopping down on the cushion beside her. "I wouldn't doubt everyone gets 'em around here. I just never heard anyone scream so much from 'em before."

Aven flushed and looked down at the floor, her shame and guilt coming back fresh and hard.

"Hey, don't go making that face," Reno told her giving her another poke in the side. "Or do you want me to get another Tonberry out?"

She shook her head and scooted away. "No, I'm fine, really. I just… I don't wanna be seen as weak."

"You...weak? Naw, no one here sees ya like that," Reno told her taking a bite of his food. "You'd only be considered weak if you don't manage to get over this first hill."

"You mean...killing Justin," Aven clarified fighting the urge to let her face droop again. "I honestly didn't think it'd be this hard. I mean I know there are ways of coping and I try to think of it as just doing my job...but nothing seems to work." She waited for a bit to see if Reno would say anything before an idea struck her. "How do you do it?" she asked turning to look him in the eye, her eyes wide with curiosity. "How do you deal with taking lives?"

"Me?" Reno replied slightly surprised by the sudden question. He took a minute to scratch his head before shrugging. "I don't know...run and go to the bars.

"Well, I don't think the second one is an option for me," she murmured. "But I suppose I can give the first one a try."

"There's a track field downstairs," Reno reminded her. "I was gonna hit it after I'm done eating. Feel free to join me if you want."

"Okay," Aven said with a nod, her grin coming back. "Maybe we can race and I'll beat you."

Reno laughed and reached over ruffling her hair. "Yeah, keep dreaming, squirt."

Aven pushed his hand away with a defiant look on her face. She WAS going to beat him, no matter how long it took.

As the pair got up to leave, Cissnei moved away from the door and headed for the offices. She was tired, but she was sure this needed to be taken care of first. When she reached the door she was looking for, she knocked lightly knowing the occupant would more than likely be present. She was right as moments later the call for her to enter came and she did so.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Tseng asked moving some papers off to the side when he saw who it was.

"Only if you're willing sir," Cissnei answered taking a seat across from him. He nodded and looked at her over top his laced fingers. "It's about Aven."

"I was going to have a conversation with the commander about her if things did not improve," he told her. "Is she still failing to cope?"

"For now, yes," she admitted easily. "But I think I know a sure way for her to bounce back for good."

* * *

It was early the next morning when Aven's PHS went off waking her from her sleep. She slowly opened one eye and groggily grabbed her phone flipping it open to see a single message. She opened the message hoping it wasn't anything important and found it was from Tseng. He was telling her that she needed to be in the training room by 11 that morning. Glancing over at the clock on her nightstand, she found that she still had a good two hours before the appointed time.

"Perfect," she thought turning over on her bed and burying her head farther into her pillows. "That means I still have an hour I can spend sleeping." Moments later she was kicking off her blankets and grudgingly getting back to her feet. She was unable to go back to sleep and decided to just get something to eat then.

As she headed into the living room, she heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. "Huh, looks like Cissnei hasn't left yet," she thought meandering over to the door. She opened it without knocking and walked right in. "Hey, Cissnei, want to have breakfast before….you…" She stopped when she spotted the tall redhead leaning over the sink with a toothbrush in his mouth and nothing but a towel around his waist.

Aven felt the warm rush of blood to her face as Reno looked up at her, blue green eyes smiling and he waved at her. She quickly shut her eyes and fumbled for the door handle. "Sorry!" she shouted an apology. Her hand found the knob and she quickly exited shutting the door behind her.

She stood there for a moment, feel mortified at having walked in on someone. She should have knocked…. Then her mind fully registered what she just saw and the real shock set in. Turning around Aven threw the bathroom door open to find Reno still leisurely scrubbing his teeth.

"Reno!" she shouted. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer her right away, but rather finished his brushing. After he spit the foam out and turned on the sink he said, "Good morning to you too, sunshine. And to answer your question, brushing my teeth."

"You're not supposed to be here," Aven told him angrily. "What the heck is wrong with your bathroom?"

He grabbed a washcloth and wiped off the leftover foam. "Oh, haven't you heard?" He asked, his cleaned teeth flashing in a grin. "We're neighbors now, so this IS my bathroom."

Aven gaped at him. "Cissnei is my neighbor, not you."

He shook his head, tossing the washcloth back onto the sink. "Not anymore. She's been having a hard time sleeping, and since I don't sleep like a normal person does, they decided to stick me here."

Aven hung her head for a moment realizing that Cissnei switched because her nightmares were keeping her awake. "Hey, eyes up here." She blinked for a moment and looked up at Reno who was waving for her to look upward.

"What?" Aven asked somewhat confused. Then it dawned on her what he was implying as her eyes noticed the towel once more. "Th-that would be the last thing on my mind," she exclaimed feeling the heat rise in her cheeks again.

"But that means it was still on your mind," Reno chuckled as he grinned at her. "So what were you saying about having breakfast?"

"The invite was for Cissnei," Aven muttered turning around and trying to erase the image of him in just a towel. "You're not her so ignore it."

Reno shrugged his bare shoulders. "Alright then. Rude and I were planning on eating out this morning. You're welcome to tag along if you want."

Aven thought about it, and while the idea sounded appealing, she just didn't feel like going out anywhere. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass."

Reno looked at her for a moment before reaching out his hand and giving her hair a small ruffle. "Do what you gotta do," he said before leaving the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Aven ran her fingers through her mussed hair, trying to flatten it back down. She wasn't sure how she was going to cope with Reno being right next door to her. It wasn't just the awkwardness of the sexes. It was the man himself. He was just so… what was that word Tseng used? Oh yeah… insufferable!

Feeling like she really didn't want to stay in her room with the redhead next door, she quickly changed her clothes and headed out the door towards the TK for some breakfast. The entire way she couldn't stop thinking about the new sleeping arrangement and debated on whether or not to ask Tseng to reconsider his decision.

In the end she decided that asking for such a thing would be showing them she couldn't handle herself. So when she reached the TK she was determined to ignore the change and act as if nothing was different. She reached the kitchen in little time, grabbed her breakfast and headed out again finding that she still had almost an entire hour and a half before she needed to be at the training room.

She started roaming the halls looking for something to do while she waited and strangely enough she found herself in front of Haruto's room. "I don't know if he's on a mission or not, but I guess it's worth a shot."

Aven gave the door a tentative knock. She heard a faint "come in' and she opened the door enough to poke her head in. the first things she noticed about Haruto's room was it was very straight and orderly and there was a very sweet smell to it. The center of the living area was cleared out and had a large mat. On the mat the bespectacled Turk was sitting with his legs crossed and his katana laid out across his lap.

He welcomed her with a warm smile. "Aven, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here this morning?"

Aven came in, the sweet smell making her head feel a little giddy. "Well, I was just wandering around and I found myself here," she admitted frankly.

"I see," said Haruto with a slight nod. "Well, I'm afraid you caught me in the middle of my meditation, but you're welcome to join me."

"Okay," she agreed walking over to the mat and sitting down next to him. "So…how does this work?" She crossed her legs like he was and sat up straight before asking her question.

"Quite simple," Haruto answered, his eyes closed and his breath steady. "You close your eyes, and with each breath you allow your thoughts to drift into your subconscious. As you inhale slowly, you think about the things that have occurred that you enjoy that make you happy. And every time you exhale slowly, you purge yourself of the thought/memories that hurt or frighten you."

Aven continued to watch him for a minute as he slowly inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, his breathing nearly imperceptible. Then she turned her head and closed her eyes. She inhaled, thinking about the lunch she had the day before when Reno bothered Cissnei enough that she grabbed a handful of his hair and dragged him out of the room. Then she exhaled and her thoughts turned to Reno having just become her neighbor. As she exhaled she imagined the air coming from her mouth pushing the image in her mind until her mind's Reno and the bathroom she saw him in were blown out a window.

The thought made her smile and she tried it again. Again as she inhaled, she thought about something amusing happening around the Turks and as she exhaled she felt the frustration at having Reno as a neighbor get pushed out of her mind further and further. She didn't know how long she'd been breathing calmly next to the swordsman, but suddenly as she began to exhale she saw Justin standing before her as she forced his air out of his lungs and refused any more to enter his body. He was flailing around and the image started to flicker a little as her breath attempted to expel it. Then all of a sudden, the image of his face turned back to look at her, his eyes pleading for her to stop and her eyes shot open.

Aven breathed heavily, her heart beat which had been so steady was now beating rapidly. She looked over at Haruto who was gazing at her placidly.

"Your soul is in unrest," he said softly. "Are you still struggling with your demons?"

The young girl nodded slowly, trying to swallow to sooth her dry throat. "I've been trying to find a way to cope," she said. "So far though, it doesn't seem like I've been hacking it very well." What's more, she was worried. She didn't want to fail so soon when she'd just gotten started.

"Each person copes differently," Haruto said placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I myself meditate once at night, and then again in the morning. I find it calms me and keeps me from breaking apart. Once you find the coping mechanism suitable for you, you'll be able to muddle through just about anything."

Aven nodded that she understood before turning to look up at him and smiled slightly. "I may still use the meditation for other things," she told him with a soft laugh. "It made me feel better about something that happened this morning. I just guess that trying to use it for coping with death is too much."

She slowly pushed herself to her feet, her legs tingling slightly from having been sitting for so long. She glanced at the nearest clock sitting on a table that was moved out of the way. It read 10:30. She'd really spent an hour roaming and then meditating with Haruto.

"Well, I'd better go," she murmured turning towards the door. "Tseng's expecting me in half an hour and I'd rather not be late. Thanks for the meditation lesson though."

"Of course," Haruto murmured smiling up at her in a warm and friendly manner. "If you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open."

"Thanks, Haru," she said with a wave.

Aven left the room and wondered what to do next. She settled on going to the training room early and killing time there. She took the elevator down to the training area and on her way to her assigned room she spotted a familiar face. Rude was in the gym working on a punching bag. He looked so intent and focused. Each punch he landed was precise and powerful.

The younger Turk sat down on one of the benches and watched him for a while. She focused solely on his movements, the way his feet planted, his body turned, his arms protracted and retracted. It was easy to see he was a well seasoned fighter.

After a while he stopped, noticing that she was watching him. "Ah, sorry to interrupt your training," she said quickly getting to her feet. "You just looked so focused I had to watch for a bit."

He picked up a nearby towel and wiped the sweat off his head. "It's fine," he said approaching her. "You wanted something?"

"Uh..." Honestly she hadn't gone in for any reason other than to watch him for a bit. Now that he was asking though, she did feel there was something she wanted to ask. "I was just curious," she answered after gathering her thoughts. "How...how do you cope with death?"

Rude looked at her...or seemed to. It was always too hard to tell where he was looking with those shades on. "I go with Reno." The answer surprised her for a moment, then she realized that she had seen them drinking together before. "And I train."

He pointed over his shoulder at the punching bag and something clicked in Aven's mind. "So then, it's like you're beating the frustration or irritation of killing out of you?" she asked. He didn't say anything but she got the feeling she was close enough. "Mind if I give it a try?"

Rude said nothing but sat down on the bench and cracked open a water bottle he'd set aside for himself. Aven took this as a 'do what you want' and went over to the punching bag. Remembering the basic training she'd received upon her joining, she sank into an offensive fighting stance, raising her fists in front of her body. She jabbed at the bag, and it swayed a little in response. She did a double jab punch combo next and ended up with roughly the same result. Figures with the little muscle mass she had her physical strength was still rather pitiful. She was glad Reno wasn't there. He'd probably laugh at her.

She continued working on the bag with combos, mostly sticking with punches and adding kicks once in a while. With each hit she landed Aven felt little bits of her frustration leave her. However when she imagined Justin's face, she immediately stopped. Her arms tingled a bit from the many impacts her fist made and she realized she'd worked up a bit of a sweat herself.

Aven felt someone tap her on the shoulder and turned around to see Rude holding out his bottle of water to her.

She gave a weak smile. "Thanks," she said in appreciation. She took the bottle and pulled a few gulps from it.

"Don't push it," he said patting her on the shoulder as she finished her water. "You're not me."

Aven looked up at him for a moment before she realized exactly what he meant. "I know," she murmured. "It did help a little though."

He nodded and placed a hand on top of her head. "It's almost 11."

Aven froze as he spoke and looked up at the clock on the wall. It read 10:58. "Shoot! Thanks for the help, Rude!" she called out as she dashed out of the room and headed down the hall to where she was supposed to be meeting Tseng.

She ran until she got to the door then walked in trying to pretend as though she hadn't just sprinted.

"Just in time," Tseng said upon her entry. "Are you ready to get started?" When she nodded in answer he motioned for her to stand in front of a target. "Today we'll be practicing with firearms."

Aven stepped up and took the hand gun Tseng had provided for her. She couldn't remember what model it was, though Tseng had mentioned it before.

"Take aim. Fire."

Aven took the moment in between the two orders to line up her sights like he'd shown her before and fired. The bullet whizzed passed the target only just nicking the edge. Well...it was better than her first attempt.

"Again."

She lined up the sights once more before letting loose another bullet, this time making it pass through the further most ring. The order came for her to empty the clip and she did so managing to hit the next ring in just once while the others went in many different directions.

"So, how was that?" she asked feeling that although it was crap she did better than before.

"You hit it...it's at least some improvement," Tseng commented with a sigh. He knew she was a talented fighter but it was clear that firearms were not her forte. "Put in another clip and try it again. Make sure you use the first two shots to figure out where you're sight is exactly and adjust as needed."

Aven took his advice and continued practicing her shooting. By the end of the hour her hands were numb and her ears were ringing. She was happy to have at least made quite a few hits on the target, even though most had been non-lethal shots.

"You performed amiably," Tseng told her. "I advise you to continue practicing in your spare time."

Aven felt that was Tseng speak for 'you didn't completely suck but you were riding pretty close to the line'. "Yes, sir. Is that all for today?"

Tseng inclined his head. "For the moment at least."

"Great," Aven said, though she didn't move from her spot.

Tseng watched her closely. "Was there anything else you needed?" he asked.

"Well...I was hoping to ask you something...but I'm afraid it may be a bit too personal to ask from my boss," she answered without looking at him. It felt awkward even considering it...but she really wanted his input. She had gotten ideas from everyone else and they sort of worked so why not.

"What is it?" Tseng asked seeming to drop the formality for a moment.

Aven looked up at him slightly surprised but she took a deep breath and pressed on. "What...what do you do...you know, to cope with...taking lives?" It was much harder to get the question out this time and she stuttered several times before she finished.

Tseng's expression didn't change at the question though it did seem to soften the slightest bit. He didn't say a word but after a moment he did motion for her to follow. Curious as to what he wanted, she did so without question. They headed out into the hallway before taking the elevator down to the offices. He led the way to his own and entered ahead of her. She paused at the doorway unsure of what his answer would be until he reached into his desk and pulled out a simple notebook.

"I believe you'll find this to be of some use," Tseng said holding the notebook out to her.

Aven slowly came forward and accepted it from him. She opened it and flipped through some of the pages, but they were all blank. It was brand new. She looked up at him questioningly.

"The best thing to do is to not let it all just sit inside," Tseng said, answering her unspoken question.

Aven looked down at the book and she understood what he was getting at. "Thank you, sir," she said with a small bow. "I really appreciate it."

After he dismissed her she left his office and went back to her room. She sat on her bed with the notebook sitting open on her lap, pen in hand. For a long time she stared at the blank page wondering how to fill it.

Aven thought about Justin, about how cleanly his assassination had been taken care of. She heard people around Shinra talking about his disappearance, saying that he'd been transferred. No one really questioned it; they just accepted it for what it was. His apartment had probably been emptied out by now. There would be nothing left of him. It was possible that, eventually, no one would even remember him.

It clicked. No one would remember him, not any of his coworkers and even if he had a family, they'd have no idea what happened to him. They may even begin to believe he abandoned them. He would truly disappear from this world, with no trace left to say that he was here. The very idea of it made Aven's blood run cold as she stared at the page. He would completely cease to exist and all because she did her job to save hundreds by ending his life. She wouldn't let that happen. Making up her mind, she pulled up her pen and wrote down a name at the very top of the page. Justin Summers. She then began to write down everything she knew about the man: his appearance, his job, his choice to help out the people in the slums, and even how he died. When she was finished one and a half pages were filled.

Now, there would be a written record of him living and dying...a way for him to continue existing. When she finished with her work, she closed the book and slid it into the very bottom of her underwear drawer. She glanced a the mirror that sat on the dresser and saw that fresh tears were sliding down her cheeks; but these were different, her face was smiling and for the first time since her completed mission, she truly felt calm. She'd finally found it, her way of coping. As she looked in the mirror, she silently promised Justin, herself and any others that would fall before her; even if the entire world forgot them, she would remember them and guarantee that there would be a record of their existence.

* * *

CM: Interesting turn of events, huh? Having Reno as a neighbor... I'm sure it'll have it's pros and cons. Will they be able to get along with this new arrangement? We shall see. Thanks for reading and please review. :)


	12. I Declare a Prank War

**Chapter 12: I Declare a Prank War**

As the days carried on, Aven was steadily finding it easier to cope with the burden of taking a life. It helped to have the support of her fellow Turks, and she was kept busy with minor jobs and paperwork. When she wasn't busy with that, she was usually training.

It was late night and she was enjoying a warm shower after another patrol mission. Aven was ready to head to bed after her shower. Just as she was about to finish up she heard the sound of a door opening and closing.

"Hey squirt, you may want to get to bed soon. Tseng wants us to meet him in three hours at the training center."

"Thanks Reno, you can go now," Aven stated trying not to think about if the curtain was see through.

"Naw, I like the steamy air. I'll wait till you get out," Reno said taking a seat on the toilet. "So, how are you liking life as a Turk?"

"It's great," Aven said starting on washing her face. "But could you please leave? I'm really not comfortable with you being there while I'm showering."

"Why not?" Reno asked. "It's not like I can see anything."

"That's not the point," she replied starting to get aggravated.

"Ah, I get it," Reno said and she could hear the grin in his voice. "Don't worry, I'm not going to peak or anything. Besides, we're neighbors. We might as well get to know each other better."

"Not when I'm taking a shower!" Aven snapped. "Why are you even in here?"

"I was bored," he replied and she imagined him shrugging.

"Well, go be bored somewhere else," she retorted.

"Naw, this is way more fun," Reno chuckled. She knew he was wearing his most evil grin now and he probably wasn't going to leave until she either came out, or until it was time to meet Tseng.

"I mean it, Reno," Aven growled. "Beat it."

"Not until you finish," Reno replied his smile widening.

That did it, she was going to make him leave if it came down to it. She quickly filled her hands with as much water as she could and blindly tossed it over the side.

Aven heard the water hit his mark as Reno made a sound of surprise. "I wouldn't do that again if I were you, squirt."

Which of course only made Aven want to do it more. She gathered up another handful of water and tossed it over again.

"So that's how it's gonna be?" Reno asked. "Alright then."

Aven heard him stand up and leave the bathroom. She had a silent bout of victory and began washing her hair, lathering the white curls with her favorite ocean spray shampoo Cissnei had helped her pick out. Aven still hadn't ever been to the ocean before, but if it smelled this nice, she was sure she'd really like it.

Just as she was finishing rinsing off her hair, she heard the door open once more and moments later saw a bucket appear over the edge of the curtain before freezing cold water was dropped onto her head. She shrieked in surprise and took a few moments to breathe as it was too cold for her.

"I warned you," Reno laughed before leaving the room. "Remember, get yourself some sleep."

"R-R-RENO!" Aven screamed. "I'm going to hurt you!"

"Not naked and frozen you ain't," Reno called back gleefully. "G'night, squirt."

* * *

A few nights later after Aven stewed on what happened in the shower, she got up an idea on how to return the favor. Borrowing a long hose from one of the staff members, she silently hooked one end up to the faucet and turned it on, making sure the other end was close off. Then she quietly tiptoed her way over to Reno's bedroom where she knew he was sleeping and gently opened up the other end. A large blast of water shot out of the hose and hit the sleeping red head directly in the side, making him leap into the air in surprise as she soaked him and his bed. After a minute or two of him spluttering at the stream of water coming at him,

Aven finally shut it off and grinned at him. "Just because I try to be nice, doesn't mean I'm not capable of getting even," she taunted before turning to turn off the faucet.

Reno wiped the water from his face with his hand, all the while his blue eyes were on her. It was hard to determine his expression. He didn't look angry. The spark in his eyes looked more like… anticipation. "You have no idea what kind of door you're opening here, little girl."

Something inside Aven told her there was some merit to his words, but she stood her ground and kept her front. "From now on, stay out while I'm showering."

She turned and went back to the bathroom, unhooking the hose. She constantly glanced over her shoulder to check if he was coming back for revenge, but he stayed in his room. Probably changing into something dry.

When she finished with her work, she turned to head into her bedroom but a sound of someone approaching caused her to spin around to face the person. She caught a glimpse of Reno standing in front of her with a wicked smirk on his face before she felt him lift her into the air and over his shoulder.

"Wh-hey!" she shouted slamming her fists against his back as hard as she could. She heard him laugh at her attempts and so she started kicking as well. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

"Sure thing, squirt," Reno laughed as he adjusted her on his shoulder. She was surprised when he walked out of the room and started heading down the hallway and into the elevator. "Just as soon as we reach our destination."

"Where are you taking me?" she shouted as she continued to trying to fight her way out.

"You'll see soon enough, squirt."

Aven didn't stop squirming, and there were a couple times she almost managed to get free. However, Reno managed to keep a hold on her as he stepped off the elevator and traveled down a deserted hallway. She recognized the floor as the R&R floor, filled with fun and relaxing things for people to do in their spare times. Yoga, spa treatment, stuff like that.

Reno paused at a door, sliding his ID card for entry before pushing his way in. The air suddenly felt very moist and the strong smell of chlorine hit Aven's nose hard. That's when she realized exactly where she was and what Reno was planning to do.

"Don't you dare!" she screamed renewing her struggles.

The red head ignored her and kept a firm hold until he stopped and suddenly flung her away from him.

Aven shouted in surprise which was quickly silenced as water washed over head. A few moments later, she resurfaced coughing up water as she did so.

"Y-you jerk!" she coughed flailing her arms in order to keep her head above the water. "I-I can't...swim!"

Reno took a look at her for a moment before realizing she wasn't joking and quickly threw a flotation device in the pool which she grabbed onto. "How was I supposed to know you couldn't swim?" Reno asked as he pulled her out of the water.

"Y-you never asked," Aven muttered spitting out the remainder of the water.

Reno shook his head. "Yeah, we're definitely gonna need to do something about that. You need to let Tseng know you need swimming lessons in case—whoa!" He ducked as a small fist came at his face and he rolled away. He stared at the dripping wet girl who was glaring death at him. "I could have let you drown you know."

"I am going to destroy you," Aven declared vehemently.

Reno smirked gleefully at what he found to be a comical pledge. "Not likely. This is what happens when you play with the big boys, squirt."

"Just you wait…" Aven threatened.

He shrugged his shoulders in response and left as Aven tried to get back to her feet without slipping. How was she supposed to know he'd pull something like throwing her into the pool? She never even attempted to get into it before...she'd never been in a situation where swimming was an option...until now.

"I swear, I'll get him back for this," she muttered under her breath as she finally regained her footing. "He's going to wish he didn't pick the pranking fight with me."

* * *

The next several days were very infuriating ones for Aven. It seemed like no matter what she tried to pull on Reno, he was ten steps ahead of her and it would end up backfiring. The most notable time being the morning she set up a trap in the TK fridge. Aven noticed for the past few days there was a set time to when Reno grabbed a drink. So a little before that time she set up the trap and waited on one of the couches, pretending to read a book. She heard footsteps and felt her heart jump with anticipation, only to keel over when it was Haruto who came in instead of the appointed Reno.

"Hello, Aven," Haruto greeted pleasantly as he headed towards the booby-trapped fridge.

"Haru..." Aven said looking up from the couch as he reached for the door to the fridge. "Wait Haru...don't." She launched herself from the couch and made it in front of him just in time to get blasted by a ton of chocolate sauce. When it was over, she was completely coated in the chocolate.

"What..." Haru started to ask seeing her like that and knowing it would have been him.

"I'm really sorry, Haru," she murmured taking each step toward the door gingerly. "It wasn't meant for you...it was supposed to be for Reno."

Before he could say anything, she opened the door and took a step out noticing immediately the smiling red head leaning up against the wall right next to the door.

He reached his hand over and with a finger picked up some of the chocolate from her cheek. "Mmm..." he said putting the chocolate in his mouth. "Nice and sweet."

Aven's tiny chocolate coated body quivered with suppressed rage. "I…HATE…you."

"Can't imagine why," Reno said grinning impishly. "I was just minding my own business, working on paperwork. I didn't feel like getting up at the time, so I asked Haruto to grab a drink for me."

Then it dawned on her. He had set the whole thing up from the beginning, making it seem like his getting a drink at any particular time was habitual. Worse yet, she'd fallen for it hook line and sinker. Angry, but not having the words to express it, she took a handful of the chocolate sauce and reached up, smearing it across his face.

He blinked down at her before his tongue curled out and licked some of it off his lips, his eyes gleaming. "Any excuse to have your hands on me, huh?"

"Urgh...I can't stand you!" she shouted moving to hit him as Haruto came up behind her.

"As much as I'd love to see this, you have work to do, Reno," he stated holding out the drink that was asked of him.

"Right, thanks Haru old pal," the red head chuckled as he headed off back to the paperwork, wiping chocolate off his face as he went.

"If you want to really get back at him, I may have an idea," Haru whispered to the steaming Aven as soon as Reno was out of earshot. Her anger disappeared in a second as she looked up at him in surprise. "Let me tell you what might really get to him." He leaned down and whispered something into her chocolate covered ear and she smiled sadistically.

"If that doesn't get to him, I don't know what will," she thought excitedly before thanking the swordsman and running off.

* * *

The next day, Aven was in the workout room, attempting to do some pull-ups on the chin up bar. According to Tseng she needed to build up her muscle strength to go along with her nimbleness and flexibility. It wasn't terribly difficult to pull herself up since the rest of her body didn't have all that much mass.

"One…" she said lifting herself up until her chin touched the bar before slowly lowering herself back down. Rude had warned her not to just let herself drop or she could pull something. She repeated the motion counting each time she pulled up. On the tenth one, her arms were tired and she dropped off the bar to let herself rest up a bit.

"What, that's really all you've got?" Reno asked coming into the room.

"You really do have string bean arms."

"Well, how many can you do?" Aven challenged with a frown.

"Just watch and learn," Reno answered as he pulled off his suit jacket and lathered up his hands with the powder meant to keep your hands from slipping. He grabbed the bar and started to pull himself up. "One...two...three...four..." He was moving pretty quickly and Aven had to admit she was slightly impressed...that is until he reached number 7. As he pulled himself up, his eyes became wide and his hands released the bar.

Moments later he was scratching at them like no tomorrow. Aven started to giggle lightly at this and actually burst out laughing when he tripped over the table and had the whole box of powder land on him. "Yeah, I learned a lot from you," she managed through her laughter. "Itching powder makes pull ups much harder to do than normal."

She quickly dash out of the room before he could do anything to retaliate and booked it to Haruto's room. It probably wouldn't be safe in her room for the rest of the day. Luckily she managed to catch him during his hour of meditation.

"Good to see you, Aven," Haruto said smiling when he saw the elated look on her face. "I trust the morning exercise went well?"

Aven beamed up at him. "Yes, it was." She stepped forward and hugged him tightly around his middle. "Thanks a bunch."

Haruto chuckled and patted her on the head until she let go. "It was my pleasure. I'm guessing you came to hide out here for a bit?" When she nodded he stepped aside and welcomed her in. "I caution you, Reno has never been one to let things go unsettled. He will retaliate, so be on your guard."

Aven nodded again as she sat down next to him. "I will," she promised before the two of them began their meditation.

An hour later, the two had finished and Aven went back to her room to get some sleep. After the meditation she was sure she'd be able to sleep without any nightmares. She felt that even Reno wouldn't be able to bother her. Despite that thought, she still took great caution inspecting her door and everything in her room before touching it. She even went over her bed with a fine tooth comb...but nothing came up. Feeling satisfied, she finally allowed herself to lay down and go to sleep.

The next morning came much faster than Aven would have liked but she shrugged it off and went into the bathroom checking to make sure he wasn't in there before entering. Knowing she had to meet with Tseng early that morning, she immediately started on her morning routine. A little while later, she found herself in Tseng's office nodding in his direction as she entered.

"Punctual as ever, Aven," Tseng acknowledged with a nod as well. "Now, if you would please give me a full report on the reason why the TK was totaled the other day?"

Aven chewed on her lip a bit obviously trying to come up with some sort of answer and failing. Instead she hung her head and looked up at him apologetically.

Tseng sighed. "I would expect Reno doing something of this nature, but not you."

The older Turk then began to give her a lecture on how what she did could be considered vandalism and destruction of company property. Aven stood perfectly still and nodded silently in answer to his admonishments.

"I'm going to let you off with a warning this time, since it is your first offense," Tseng said wrapping it up. "However, I don't want this incident to be repeated. Are we clear?"

Aven smiled and nodded and waited for him to dismiss her.

"Are we clear?" Tseng repeated. He had noted that she hadn't said a thing since the conversation started. Rude was one thing, but Aven normally had one thing or another to say. "I want to hear you say that you understand so there is no misunderstanding later."

He watched Aven chew on her lip some more and he knew something was wrong. "Ma chongue ith thwollen thir," she finally managed to get out. From that one sentence he could clearly see that her entire mouth looked like it was nearly completely filled with her tongue.

He sighed knowing it was retribution from whatever she had finally managed to hit Reno with. "Go get it taken care of," he grumbled. She nodded silently as she turned to leave. "And Aven...I want this to end." She nodded and left the room. "What am I going to do with those two?"

Aven went to the infirmary and get a shot to make the swelling go down, and within hours her tongue was back to normal. She took to heart what Tseng said about the pranks ending, and she would stop… just as soon as she had her revenge for Reno swelling up her tongue to the size of a baby hedgehog pie. And she had just the thing in mind.

The next day Aven was waiting in the training room with Tseng, Rude, and Cissnei for her training session to begin. This time she was being pitted with Cissnei against Reno and Rude in a two-on-two match. Sadly, Reno was no where to be found.

"Teamwork is important," Tseng explained to her as they waited. "A single Turk alone is normally enough to get a job done, but there is nothing more invaluable than a well formed partnership."

"Right," Aven replied nodding her head that she understood.

"This exercise will help you learn how to read not only your opponent, but your partner as well so you don't collide with them," Tseng continued as he glanced around for a moment looking for the absent redhead. "Rude...where is your partner?"

"I don't know," Rude answered with a sigh. He was concerned as to what the man had planned.

Moments later, he walked into the room with a rather irritated expression on his face. "Sorry I'm late, I couldn't fix my hair right after my shower," he grumbled.

The others looked at him in surprise hardly daring to believe what they were seeing. He was walking in the room with his short hair in every direction like usual...except...it was purple. Aven's eyes widened when she saw it and it took everything she had to suppress the laugh that wanted to break free.

"Reno, were you trying out for a new look?" Cissnei asked him. "Because I don't think purple really suits you."

"It was supposed to be blue," Aven thought to herself, with a small giggle. "But whatever, this is even better. Ha! I finally got him good!" Her mirth was quickly stifled when Tseng's disapproving glare came her way. She sobered up immediately, regaining her air of professionalism.

The senior Turk sighed and gave his forehead a light rub with his fingers. "Let's just continue on with the training program shall we? Enough time has been wasted."

As the teams got into position, Reno looked to Rude who had kept a straight face the entire time. "What? No smart remarks?"

Rude shook his head. "I'm used to your hair looking ridiculous."

Reno shrugged and turned his attention to their opponents...or more specifically Aven. Yes...his eyes were on the white haired girl...not even glancing over at Cissnei.

"Chosen your target?" Rude asked glancing over at the purple haired Reno...but he already knew the answer. "Just checking."

"Begin." Tseng's order rang out through the room as the two teams began to attack one another.

Rude went after Cissnei, and Reno brought his rod down towards Aven. His smirk was fully in place so any outsider would simply think that he was enjoying himself. Aven could tell, however, that the power of his attacks and the speed at which they were coming was a lot more than his usual. He was going to make sure one of his attacks lands on her before the training was over.

"It was just hair," she thought as she narrowly dodged another of his attacks. He wasn't even bothering going after Cissnei though he still did his partner duty to help out Rude every now and again. "And it's not like I shaved it off in the middle of the night or anything either, though that would have been funny to see, but still! I only changed its color! What's the big deal?"

Apparently it was a very big deal. Aven was getting tired out just dodging Reno's attacks and the entire time he was keeping her on the defense. Cissnei did manage to help her out a few times, saving her from what would have been very painful strikes. Aven at last became fed up and used a blizzard Materia to make the ground he stood on slick. For a split second his footing slipped and she lashed out with her whip. Reno's rod arm flew up and the EMR was angled just right to where the whip wrapped around its length. Aven tried to jerk the weapon out of his hand, but his grip was tight and after a short tug-of-war match, Reno tugged her weapon free from her grasp and it flew across the room, landing several yards away.

"Aven, get down!" Aven heard the call from Cissnei and she ducked. Reno cursed and backed away as Cissnei's Rekka came flying at him.

The younger female seized her chance and bolted towards the spot where her weapon lay. Halfway there, Rude came in to stop her but she pivoted and spun around him, avoiding his deadly fists.

"Almost there," she thought as she got closer to her weapon.

She could hear the battle between Cissnei and however behind her and didn't want to leave her partner hanging so she dove for her weapon thinking about sending another ice spell out the moment she got a hold of it. Apparently her opponents had other plans, however, as Reno somehow appeared right in front of her and drove his weapon into her gut as if he was swinging a bat. She jumped backward just before the impact to lessen the blow, but she was still sent flying back several feet and landed hard on the ground. She gasped for air after coming to a stop and slowly climbed to her feet.

"Well...that one hurt," she panted, wincing as her side shifted slightly. "Wow, he's more pissed than I thought."

Before she could get her wind and her balance back, Reno was on her again. Aven tried to retaliate, back Reno's free hand flew forward, grabbing her below the neck and slamming her back onto the floor. She felt the air leave her lungs once again and her head smack the ground. Reno crouched over her, his right hand pinning her to the ground while his left twirled his metal baton.

"Nighty night," he said with a wicked smile as the EMR began to spark with electricity.

Aven's eyes widened as she watched the end of his rod come down at her. She felt her heart stop, and then suddenly so did his weapon, inches from her face.

"Just kidding."

He grinned at her widely as he moved his EMR away from her face and stood up. Then he started laughing at the surprised look on her face that was quickly turning to anger.

"Just joking?!" she exclaimed pushing herself to her feet. "That was a joke? You actually seemed ticked off enough where I thought you actually going to kill me! How was that a joke?"

"Haha...I've never seen you look so scared," Reno laughed all the dark aura gone. "Ah, that look was priceless.

"How the heck was that supposed to be a joke?" she demanded winding up and punching him in the arm.

While all this was going on, Cissnei and Rude had stopped the fight and were watching the pair curiously while Tseng was rather irritated they had ended it so suddenly.

"Let's move this along," Tseng stated authoritatively. "We'll start from the beginning." Aven raised her hand and he inwardly sighed. "Yes, Aven?"

"Sir, I deeply apologize but… I don't think I can continue right now," Aven said.

Tseng looked at her for several moments. He looked as though wanted to deny her request, but after glancing between her and Reno he exhaled slowly. "Very well, you have one hour to collect yourself."

Aven dipped her head in gratitude before leaving the room. Cissnei stared after her before glancing over at Reno. "Is something going on between you two?"

Reno shrugged. "It's no big. We're treating like adults."

"I can see that," Cissnei murmured looking over his hair. "Just, try not to let it get too far. I know how much you hate the idea of losing."

"Don't worry about it," Reno told her shrugging off her comment. "It'll all end in a day or two."

Tseng didn't like the sound of that...but at the same time if they settled things themselves then all the better. He'd rather not get sucked into their childish competition. About an hour later, Aven came back with a smile on her face and the training resumed. Without Reno seemingly out for blood...she and Cissnei proved they were actually a fairly good team as they traded blows with Reno and Rude. Granted they still had to send signals to each other that the other two could read no matter how subtle they made them, but all in all they didn't do too badly and Tseng seemed pleased at the results.

"Good, we'll have another session tomorrow only then you'll be partnered with Haruto. Make sure you are here on time," Tseng explained to Aven after the session. "Until then you are free...Reno, Rude, you both have jobs to do...get them cleaned up efficiently."

Everyone saluted and left to do their jobs. Aven went through the rest of the day thinking it was over. Reno seemed to have had his revenge during the training session. They could finally call it quits on this stupid prank fight.

AS IF…

* * *

The next day Reno, Rude, and Tseng were waiting in the training room, only this time they were waiting for Aven and Haruto.

"It's almost time," Tseng thought checking his watch.

Aven and Haruto were usually quite punctual, and it seemed as though they were going to be able to get through the day without any upsets or tomfoolery. About a minute before the appointment hour, the door opened and a small creature stormed in.

"Where are they, Reno!?"

The three Turks turned to see what looked like a giant moogle marching into the room. Tseng would have believed he was having an extremely odd dream until he noticed that a face was poking out of the mouth. White strands of hair hung around angry hazel colored eyes and bright red cheeks. Rude was standing next to him and he could tell the bold Turk was holding back what would have been a laugh. On the other hand, Reno was bent over double from his mirth.

"She wore it! She actually wore it!" he shouted with glee.

"Shut up!" Aven shouted from within the moogle costume. "Just tell me where you stowed all my clothes already."

The blush on her cheeks increased during this and she tried as hard as she could not to look at Tseng. It was embarrassing enough for her to have had to travel through the halls and up the elevator. Being seen by her superior just made it all the worse.

Tseng folded his arms and glanced over at Reno who had abandoned all sense of propriety and was now on the floor doubled up with laughter. Rude stood next to his partner, staring down at him wishing he would have some sense of decorum.

Tseng rubbed his forehead, avoiding having to look at his newest member in a moogle suit. "Aven, why didn't you just call?"

Aven hung her head in shame. "I couldn't find my phone, sir."

"Yeah, I got it here," Reno said, picking himself up off the floor and pulling out a phone from his jacket pocket. "I was hanging onto it for ya, you know, just so that you didn't forget it."

"Of course that was the reason," Aven muttered holding out her hand...uh moogle paw.

"You can't grip it with that," Reno laughed pulling the phone out of her reach again. "Just take the arm off."

"I can't," she grumbled trying hard not to lose her temper in front of her superior. "You know that. Now where are my clothes?"

"You know, you could be a little more civil," Reno stated waving her phone back and forth. "After all, you won't find out where to get anything to wear accept that costume."

"Oh, now you're threatening me?!" Aven demanded waving her pawed hands around. "I'm not being polite to you...not after you stole my..."

"That is enough both of you." Tseng's voice rang out silencing both of them.

Just then the door opened and Haruto walked in. "I deeply apologize for my lateness. I was just…" he trailed off when he saw the scene before him. There was a full two beats of silence before he turned his gaze to Tseng. "Please say this isn't a new part of the training program."

"Training has been temporarily postponed," Tseng replied shortly before glaring back to the two youngest Turks. "Aven, go get changed, and Reno, give her back her clothes and her PHS. I want both of you in my office in fifteen minutes sharp."

"Yes, sir," Aven replied while Reno just nodded. After the two of them had left Haruto stared after her thoughtfully.

"It might just be me," he commented thoughtfully. "But I think Aven makes an adorable moogle."

Tseng sighed, but silently he had to agree...the outfit really seemed to fit her. Maybe a little too well. Rude on the other hand breathed heavily and had to agree as well, though he also felt a little sorry for her. "She was upset," he said thinking about how ticked off she was.

"I know...but that just made her look cuter," Haruto commented thoughtfully.

Just then three phones all went off at the same time. They all looked at each other before pulling out their PHS and opening them. A few seconds passed before they all let loose a small groan. They had all received a picture from Reno...of Aven in her moogle costume. He had taken a picture of her before they left.

The worst part was that none of them could bring themselves to delete it.

* * *

CM: For those of you who'd like to see the moogle outfit, it's on my deviant art account titled "Reno is Mean". Hope you all enjoyed the wonderful prank fest. Let us know if you liked it. :D


	13. Streets of Junon

**Chapter 13: Streets of Junon**

Aven didn't speak a word to Reno as the two made their way back up to their rooms. Once there, the young girl turned to the red head angrily. "Alright, where'd you put them?" she asked putting her paws on her sides.

"Not so fast," Reno said with a wide grin. "First you gotta do one small thing for me."

Aven wanted to kick him. "I'm not doing anything for you now give me my clothes and phone back already."

"It'll be just a quick little thing," said Reno.

"Ugh, what!?" she demanded.

Reno grinned even more. "Say 'kupo' for me."

"What?!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Are you nuts? I'm not doing that!"

"I guess you really don't want them back that badly then," Reno taunted, his grin growing bigger.

"No," Aven stated firmly. "We only have 15 minutes so quit wasting time and give them back."

Reno continued to look at her, grin in full force. "Say it."

"Reno!" Aven shouted, stomping her foot. The padded feet muffled the impact, however, taking away any threatening aspect from it.

The red head laughed. "Hurry up, time's a wasting. I don't care if we're late, so really it's all on you."

The white haired girl growled and she hung her head resignedly. "Fine….. kupo." It sounded more like a grunt than the actual trill.

"Can't you do it more… cute-like?" Reno asked her, clearly not satisfied. "Maybe if you did a little hop…"

Aven gritted her teeth, clearly not happy with the idea and the two had a short staring fight. After a couple minutes, Reno looked down at his phone and lightly tapped it. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down before she forced a smile on her face. "Kupo...kupo," she said her voice becoming higher pitched. "There are you happy?"

"Well...you didn't do the hop, but I guess that will do," he said with a shrug before leading her inside and finally handing over her clothing and PHS. "Hurry up now...you've only got 8 minutes and you don't want to keep Tseng waiting."

Once he returned her stuff she got changed and by the end of the fifteen minute time limit they were standing before Tseng's desk. The Wutain Turk looked more exasperated than Aven had ever seen him.

"I can't even begin to express the level of immaturity the both of you have displayed these past few days," Tseng began looking to each in turn. "I didn't even bother reporting to the commander on this since it would merely be a waste of his time. Before I hand out punishments, I want to know how this foolishness started."

Aven raised her hand and spoke up first. "Reno was invading on my privacy, sir," she explained. "I was taking a shower and he was sitting right outside the tub. I told him several times to leave but he wouldn't."

"It's not like I was peeking or anything," Reno cut in quickly. "I was just bored and decided to have a conversation with her till she was done."

"I was done...and you wouldn't leave no matter how many times I told you," Aven retorted turning on the red head. "Which is why I tossed the water on you."

Reno was about to reply to that but Tseng cleared his throat affectively silencing them. He couldn't believe it all started over something so simple. Then again, the entire feud seemed to be nothing but childish anger at each other. "Now that I see it started because of both of you being stubborn, I now simply want you to shake hands and apologize to each other," Tseng ordered. "And I don't want to see anything like this to happen again."

Aven knew he was right...things had gotten out of hand and she didn't want to disappoint him any further. So, despite how upset she was at the redhead, she sucked up what irritation she felt and stuck out her hand towards him. "He's right...Reno, I'm sorry."

Reno stood there with his hands in his pockets, and just let the seconds tick by. Aven had the growing urge once more to punch him but she kept still with her hand remaining extended.

Amazingly enough Tseng lost his patience before she did. "Reno," he said warningly.

"What? I'm taking in the moment of this beautiful reconciliation," Reno stated in his defense. Under the dark eyed glare he submitted and at last reached out a hand to grasp Aven's. "Okay, I'm sorry too, squirt."

Aven suppressed a growled at the nickname being thrown around in the presence of her superior. Forget the salt, Reno was squeezing lemon juice over her wounds.

"Good, now you both have missions today," Tseng spoke up. "Because training was canceled today thanks to your shinanigans you both are free until it's time for you to leave. Make sure you use that time to settle this between you. Dismissed."

The two said their goodbyes to Tseng and left the room. The moment they were out the door, Aven turned on Reno and punched him in the arm.

"Why can't you use my name?" she demanded angrily. "It's bad enough you call me that every time we meet...do you have to use it in front of Tseng as well? I was so humiliated in there all because you wouldn't leave me alone!"

"Hey, I warned you not to get in over your head," Reno said rubbing his arm. "You really need to loosen up and not make such a big deal over everything."

"It IS a big deal!" Aven almost shouted. "Tseng's probably never going to trust me again. The only good thing is that hopefully Commander Veld never hears about this."

"Oh please, do you think I'd still be around if Tseng didn't have a tiny sense of humor?" Reno asked her. "I've done way worse than this and the guy still trusts me… mostly."

"Just… just… STAY AWAY FROM ME." Aven turned and left, going back to her room. Once there she went to her bed and cried tears of frustration into her pillow. She knew she'd have to suffer hardships to be a Turk, but not like this!

Reno returned to his room shortly after Aven did and he collapsed on his bed hoping to get some rest before his mission. Unfortunately he didn't have such luck as he could hear Aven crying through the wall next to his head. He didn't think she'd be that upset about it. He knew she was different from Cissnei but he honestly didn't think she'd be so upset about being embarrassed in front of Tseng that she'd start crying. The Commander he may be able to understand as he is their boss, but Tseng? He sighed and rubbed his forehead. It's not like he did anything wrong...they were both dishing out some pretty harsh pranks on each other, why was he the one everyone gets upset at? Well, anyway...he was sure she'd be over it in a day or two. She didn't strike him as the type to hold a grudge.

* * *

Apparently looks could be very deceiving. A full week passed after the moogle suit incident and Aven hadn't spoken a single word to Reno. In fact, she was content with pretending he didn't exist at all unless it was during training. She performed much better with Haruto as a partner. During that match, both Reno and Rude found out Aven actually had a vicious side to her.

It didn't help that Haruto was siding with her and with his help she'd come very close to nailing Reno one right in the face with that whip of hers.

In the end, the best team still came out on top though they were looking at Aven with a whole new light. Generally she was the sweet kid who loved everyone and never actually got angry at anything, but if you manage to find a way to really tick her off she became a different kind of beast. Reno found the whole experience to be rather amusing though as he still had no idea what part of the incident had been the thing to tick her off. Rude did point out though, that either way she was upset and until that got fixed she was going to be one heck of a pain to deal with.

He was completely right of course and what was worse, everyone noticed it. It didn't help though that unless she was required to, she wouldn't stay in the same room as him for longer than a few seconds. This was actually what brought Tseng into the mess...again.

"Hey guys, what 'cha watching?" Reno called out as he entered the TK room. Before anyone could answer, Aven got up from her place on the couch, book in hand, and left the room without so much as looking at him.

"Wow...I don't know what you did...but somehow you did the impossible," Cissnei commented. "I honestly never thought I'd see the day where she was legitimately ticked off."

"She's just overreacting," Reno replied nonchalantly as he got himself a soda from the fridge.

Haruto gave a small snort. "Hardly."

Rude chose to say nothing, preferring to just stay out of it all together.

Tseng honestly didn't care what the cause was. Discord in the work place was unacceptable. The Turks worked as a single unit. Any friction between members could develop into a potential hindrance. He was sorely beginning to rue the day he agreed to make the two of them neighbors. Scratch that, he'd regretted the decision almost instantly. However changing that now would solve nothing and only cultivate the wedge between the two Turks. They would simply have to work things out sooner or later. Tseng just hoped it didn't drag out for very much longer or he'd have to stick his hand in once more.

His break finished, Tseng got up and left telling the others that it was going to be a busy night and to keep their phones on so he could contact them once he had missions sorted out. They all acknowledged his statement and returned to the news as he disappeared through the door.

"So, what are you going to do if she remains upset at you?" Haruto asked curiously.

"I won't have to worry about that," Reno said with a shrug. "I doubt it'll last for too much longer and even if it does, she's too worried about what Tseng would think of her if she failed a mission than do anything to screw one up because I was there."

"Did you at least apologize?" Cissnei asked.

"Sure I did," Reno said popping the soda tab.

"Without any form of sincerity, no doubt," said Haruto knowingly.

"Get off my back already," Reno grumbled before taking a large slurp of his soft drink. "She's just as much to blame as me. I was even nice enough to give her fair warning. I don't do that very often."

"True," Rude muttered. It was the first thing he said on the matter...but he had to agree. Aven could have stopped their feud herself by not retaliating...but then again she was obviously as stubborn as Reno.

"Was the hair so bad that you had to retaliate twice?" Cissnei asked casually. She had stopped watching the news awhile ago...and was barely seeing the President and his son on the screen saying something to the press. "I kind of liked the new color."

"New color?" Haruto asked confused. He'd heard about the feud...but didn't know the details on any of them.

"Aven turned his hair purple...it was great," Cissnei answered with a light chuckle.

The bespectacled Turk smiled at the imagery. "I'm sorry I missed that."

Reno finished his drink before tossing the can at the recycling bin across the room. It went in almost perfectly. "Someone's gotta toughen the kid up. Might as well be me." He turned to the door and giving a short wave. "Later."

They all watched him leave. Haruto sighed and shook his head in an almost exasperated fashion.

"He can't help himself," said Cissnei. "Reno's always been about tough love."

"I know, but he's never dealt with someone like Aven before," Haruto replied with a shrug. "I'm not even sure if he knows how to deal with someone as honest and innocent as she is."

"Just wait and see," Rude muttered before getting up from his chair and leaving the room.

The other two agreed with his assessment and decided they had better things to do and left the room.

* * *

It was later that night that Aven got the call to go to Tseng's office and when she arrived, to her dismay Reno was there as well. "You wanted to see me sir?" she asked taking a seat without acknowledging Reno's presence.

"Yes, I'm sending the both of you out to Junon to investigate the steady growth in trouble with the local gangs," Tseng answered calmly.

Aven's fingers curled in her lap at the news. A mission with Reno was the last thing she wanted right now.

"This mission needs two people," Tseng continued. Then as if to address Aven's disinclination he added, "You two are the only ones available for this. In spite of recent events, I expect nothing but the best effort from both of you."

Aven found it both odd and disheartening when she noticed he was looking at her as he said this. This only served to upset her more and she was now determined to show she could do a spectacular job, even with Reno being there.

"I'll do my best sir," she promised rigidly.

"Good...you'll need to head out within the hour," Tseng stated. "As soon as you've gathered enough information get it to the local infantry and let them handle the rest." He pulled out a file and handed it over to Reno. "Here's the rest of the information you'll need."

"Thanks, Tseng. We'll have this done in no time," Reno said getting to his feet. "Come on squirt, let's get a move on."

Aven followed him out of the office and to the elevator in silence. When the elevator doors opened Reno turned to her. "I'm gonna go on up and get the chopper ready. Go get prepared and meet me up top when you're ready."

She nodded wordlessly and watched the elevator doors close before taking the other one down to the dorms. She went to her room and got everything set. The equipped her weapons and materia, as well as loaded her item bag.

Once she felt she was well prepared, she took the elevator up to the rooftop.

When she reached the top, she hopped into the cockpit with Reno who was just finishing up his checklist.

"We're all set here," he said once Aven had the headset on that he had tossed her. "You ready?"

"Let's just get this over with," Aven muttered not wanting to say anything more than necessary to the red head.

He shrugged his shoulders and lifted the chopper off the ground. Right from the start Aven could tell the trip was going to be horrible. Almost immediately Reno started going on about something he and Rude did the day before. She took to staring out the window at the ground passing below them while the redhead continued to talk. He kept on going for the entire flight talking about a poker game against Rude and Haruto that Tseng had joined in on later and then saying something about the President, his son, Heidegger, and Scarlet. These she ignored completely. It didn't take them long to reach Junon and much to Aven's relief they were soon putting down at the top of the city and Reno turned off the engine.

"Alright...so basically we're both supposed to try and infiltrate one of the gangs, get as much information as we can from them and meet back here. Any questions?"

"NO...can we start already?"

Reno's blue eyes sharpened for a brief moment and just as quick they were back to normal. "Sure, you hit the north side and I'll hit the south. We meet back here at 0600 hours. Phone in if you get into trouble."

Like that'll happen, she thought as she climbed out of the chopper and took off down the street. Aven checked her phone and pulled up a map of Junon which Tseng had downloaded into her phone. The layout didn't look terribly complicated but she had to say she didn't like the look of the city. Most if not all of the buildings were several stories high and all lined up together along the streets. There was no grass, trees, or anything of the like. The sky above way hazy and it smelled unpleasantly like oil and fumes. It felt more like a fortress than a place where people would live.

Occasionally a dark alley would pop up, a sliver of space between the cramped buildings. At one point Aven noticed that cutting through the alley would save her a bit of time rather than going all the way around on the main streets. She would admit she was a bit wary, being in an unfamiliar place, but she was confident she could handle herself.

She glanced around before stepping into the alleyway and making her way to the other side. The area was eerie and she hated having so many places where she could easily be watched while she couldn't see a thing. Near the end of the alleyway, Aven had to stop as a boy a couple years older than her came around the corner and nearly ran right into her as he wasn't paying too much attention.

"Woah, hey who are you?" he demanded suddenly on guard.

Aven looked over the boy and noticed that most of his clothing was pretty ragged like most of the lower class dwellers of the city, but what caught her eye was the bandana he had tied around his upper arm. It had the symbol of one of the two main gangs they were looking for. Realizing she'd found pretty much exactly what she'd been looking for, she softened her expression and allowed her eyes to go slightly wider.

"I'm sorry...I'm Maya...I just got into town from Costa del Sol and ended up lost," she said sheepishly. "Do you know where we are right now?"

"Whoa, you managed to get to Junon from all the way over there?" the boy said in surprise. "What'd you do? Sneak on a cargo ship or something?"

Aven pressed her lips together and dipped on her head down. "I… I didn't have a choice." She covered her face with her hands. "I… I had to get away from home. My father… h-he was… always c-coming home drunk…" And she began to spin a sob story about her abusive father who treated her like dirt and made her work all day while he went out to drink and gamble, until at last she got up enough courage to run away from home and escape overseas. She really threw herself into the part so much her eyes were even beginning to moisten up a bit.

"I managed to get away b-but…" she said wrapping it up with shaking shoulders. "I d-don't know w-what to do. I've never b-been on my own before." She gave a little sniffle and a hiccup and when she pulled her hands away her eyes were swimming.

The boy blinked in surprise and went up to her patting her on the shoulder and giving her a little squeeze. "Hey, you're gonna be alright," he promised giving her an encouraging smile. "I'll bet your dad will never find you over here." Aven wiped her eyes and looked up at him with a grateful smile as a strange idea struck him. "You don't have a place to sleep tonight do you?" Aven shook her head and her eyes started watering again. "Hey, don't worry about it. Why don't you come stay with me tonight?"

"R-really? You sure about that?" she asked uncertainly. "I wouldn't want to impose. I could just find a hotel or something."

"Naw it's good...besides I can't just let you go around getting lost again," the boy said wrapping his arm around her shoulder again. "You never know what kind of guys you'll run into in this town...especially at this time of night."

"Thanks...really," Aven said giving him a gentle hug.

"I'm Max, by the way," he said and took hold if her hand. "Nice to meet you Maya."

Then he began leading her through a maze of alleyways. Aven did her best to memorize the path, but it was difficult with how dark it was. She counted the number of times they took a turn, or stairs they took, until they finally arrived at what was almost literally a hole in the wall.

"This place is secret, so no telling anyone else, okay?" the boy told her as he led her inside.

The hideout was about as large as a parking garage. All around there were guys wearing the same bandana on different parts of their body. Some were drinking, others smoking, some playing cards. It definitely had a laid back feel to it. She also noticed there were several motor bikes sitting around.

It didn't take long after her arrival with Max for her to start attracting attention.

"Hey, Max, where did you pick this one up?" one of the men called out as he approached the two. "She looks really young but cute."

"She was lost and alone and I couldn't just leave her out there for the wolves," Max answered with a shrug. "So I brought her here for the night. Don't you go trying anything though."

"Don't worry, I don't mess with kids," the guy said with a laugh. Aven twitched at being called a kid but managed to keep her innocent looking expression.

"What did he mean by that?" Aven asked Max worriedly. "I didn't like the look on his face."

"Don't worry...no one here forces women to do anything," Max told her. "Plus, there's no way you could be older than 13...14. For most of them that means you're too young to even look at that way."

"Oh, okay, thanks," Aven sighed with relief. Her face split into a grateful smile and Max couldn't help but think it made her look cuter.

"What the hell, Max?!"

Said male tensed up at the sound of the angry voice and he uttered a low swear under his breath before turning to face the person. Aven looked also, peeking out from behind Max. The guy approaching them was tall and lean, and his hair was a mess of dark red. His eyes were sharp and narrowed. Aven took a quick glance around and noticed everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch. Was this guy the leader?

The red head stopped in front of Max who kept still and calm. "Hey, boss."

Well, that question was quickly answered.

"Don't 'hey' me," the leader said. He was close enough that Aven could pick out deep blue irises narrowed in annoyance. "You know the rules. No damsels in the hide out."

"I know, boss," Max said keeping himself planted between the red head and Aven. "But she's just a kid. She was wandering out there all by herself. What if one of the Hell Sweepers had picked her up?"

The boss exhaled heavily, swiping a hand through his mess of hair. "Dammit, Max. You know what happens to guys who break the rules."

"Yeah," Max said with a nod. "I came here ready to take it."

Aven watched and listened to this entire exchange, making sure not to miss a single iota of it.

She watched as Max tensed up, standing perfectly still while the boss pulled his fist back and let it go cold clocking the boy in the jaw and dropping him to the floor. Aven visibly flinched at this and nervously watched the red head look from his downed man back to her. She started shaking slightly under his gaze until he turned on his heel and walked away. She breathed a sigh of relief and bent down to help Max up to his feet.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah," the boy answered slowly getting to his feet. "I knew he would do this when I brought you in but I wanted to make sure you had a place to go that was safe."

She nodded gratefully and gave him a nervous hug that barely had any pressure to it. "Thank you," she whispered and he just gave her a warm smile. "So, does this mean I can stay or does he expect me to leave before he does the same to me?"

Max gave a short laugh. "Nah, Jay doesn't hit girls, but don't expect him to talk much around you." He glanced around again, seeing everyone had gone back to doing their own thing. "So, would you like a little tour while we're here?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Aven replied with a smile of sugar and honey.

* * *

Reno hadn't any trouble finding info on the gang he was looking for. In all honesty he was glad he'd sent the kid up north. Southern Junon was what you would call the dark and shady end of town, away from all the nice hotels and city shops. In some ways it was worse than the wall street of Sector 5 back in Midgar. The only thing keeping everyone more or less in line was the Shinra military.

As he continued down the seemingly empty street, he spotted a few people sneaking into a really run down building where he could hear a ruckus going on. Thinking he was probably on the right track, he followed them inside and soon found himself at the edge of a small homemade arena. All along the edges were rows and rows of benches all filled with men that had a unique symbol on their helmets and leather jackets.

"Well, that was easy," he thought looking up at the large thugs. "Infiltration of the Hell Sweepers will be finished in no time."

From the looks of things, some sort of initiation was going on. A group of what looked like non-gang members were all lined up near a wall.

In no time, Reno was approached by one of the members, who was rather huskily built. "You here to join?"

Reno smiled a bit. "Yep, bein' in a gang is all I ever dreamed about."

The man's already small eyes narrowed. "What's the password?"

"Marlboro Black," he replied easily. Figures they pick something so generic for a password such as a cigarette brand name.

The thug scrutinized him a little longer before pointing to the wall. "Go join the rest until it's time."

Reno nodded and made his way over to where they were. Some of the guys were big, while others were scrawnier than he was.

Looking them all over, he could tell that although they looked like they had some skill...they were all pushovers when compared to him. He went to go stand next to the other candidates and was pleased when moments later the guy with the most dangerous looking coat got to his feet and spoke over everyone else.

"So, you punks think you're good enough to join the Hell Sweepers? It time you proved it," he said in a commanding deep voice. "You have 30 minutes to fight each other...only those that are still alive...or at least awake will be allowed to join. Have at it."

As his incredibly short speech ended, the men all turned to look at each other before an all out brawl began and almost immediately a few people were dropped to the ground unmoving.

"Now I'm really glad she went North," Reno thought as he dodged around a few of the larger guys and threw a few punches himself.

* * *

"So this is a motorcycle gang?" Aven asked as Max showed her around the place.

"That's right," he told her proudly. "People know us as the Devil Riders."

"Sounds scary."

"Believe it or not, we're one of the more decent gangs out there. Especially compared to the Hell Sweepers. That's the gang that occupies the south side of town."

"I'm not so sure this city is the best place for me," Aven said, looking at the ground and shivering slightly.

"Probably not, especially if you don't have any family here. My advice to you would be to find someone who can get you to Kalm. That town's decent enough."

"Kalm," she repeated thoughtfully. "I'll remember that."

"I might know a guy who can get you there," he said, "but it'll have to wait until tomorrow. You'll wanna be out of here before evening hits."

"How come?" she asked curiously.

"Well…" he did a quick glance around before speaking in a whisper. "There's gonna be a turf war going on."

"A...a turf war?" she asked in surprise and confusion.

"Yeah, tomorrow night we're going to be facing off against the Hell Sweepers in a big race," he explained. "Knowing them though, it probably won't stay just a race. Unfortunately unless we win and kick them out a lot of people will probably end up getting hurt. I'd hate to see a cute girl like you get in the middle of that."

"I see...thank you. I'll make sure to leave before then," Aven promised. "I don't want to get caught up in that either. Those other guys sound really scary."

"Yeah, they really are...but I don't think we have too much to worry about."

"Why not?"

"Because, our boss is the best biker around here," he explained with pride. "There's no way those guys'll win against him...not unless they cheat. But that's where we come in. Our job is to make sure the Hell Sweepers can't do anything to the boss during that race."

"Wow...well I wish you luck," she murmured holding tightly onto his arm. "I'd rather not see you get hurt in all this."

"No need ta worry about that," he said with a smile. "I ain't second fer nothin'."

Aven had to admit, she was glad she took this gang. They seemed much more accommodating and easy going and from the sounds of things, these Hell Sweepers weren't the nicest of people.

_'I wonder how Reno's doing,'_ she wondered to herself. _'If those guys are as bad as Max said they'd tear him apart if they found out what he was. Then again, he IS a Turk, so he shouldn't have any problems, right? Wait a minute… why do I even care?'_

* * *

__CM: Aw, she does care. Sorry to cut it off here but chapter length, you know. No worries, you'l get the conclusion next chapter. ...Maybe. :P Please review if you liked.


	14. Don't Touch My Moogle

**Chapter 14: Don't Touch my Moogle**

"Time's up," the boss shouted a large smirk spreading across his face at the carnage before him.

Out of the couple dozen men that showed up, only about 10 were left standing. The others were either lying on the ground breathing hard from injuries and exhaustion or else were a bloody unmoving mess. Among them stood Reno who was massaging his now bruised knuckles. It had been a long time since he had been forced to fight with his bare hands alone.

"Congratulations, you're all now members of the Hell Sweepers. Go get your uniforms and prepare for the destruction of the Devil Riders."

All the members including the new ones cheered at this and they quickly lined up to get the symbol of the gang. As Reno took his place in line, one of the members went over to his boss and started whispering something in his ear. The boss nodded and started heading down to the line of new recruits. He reached it the same time Reno did and stopped the guy from handing out the badge.

"You...ain't getting into our group," he stated in a threatening manner as the rest of the gang began closing in. "We don't accept Turks."

* * *

Aven was stirred awake by a sharp nudge to her side. She rolled over on the blanketed floor, peering up blearily at a scowling face.

"Wake up, kid. You're leaving." It was the gang leader.

The girl sat up rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter," he grunted. "Your stay here is over. Now hurry and get up. Max is gonna escort you out."

"Yeah, sure," Aven said deciding not to push her luck. Once she was out she really needed some food and a rinse off.

As the red head turned away from her he added in a low voice, "You should be grateful it was Max who found you."

"I am," she said without hesitation. "And thank you for letting me stay."

He humphed before walking away. "I don't know much about him but...he seems rather awkward around women," she thought getting to her feet as Max approached her.

"Sorry about the wake up call," he said rubbing his head. "The boss doesn't like outsiders around though, so you understand."

Aven smiled and nodded. "He seems nice enough though," she muttered in embarrassment. "He didn't have to let me stay the night at all."

"That's true. Well, anyway let's get you back to the normal part of town," Max said taking her hand in his and walking her out the door. "I hope you have good luck out there. Though once you make it to Kalm I'm sure you'll be just fine."

Once they were outside, Aven noticed the sun had just barely risen, indicating the earliness of the day. She'd only managed to get maybe an hour or so of sleep. Max led her out of the alleys and to the shop area. "Alright, well, this is where we part ways. Be careful out there, alright Maya?"

"I will," Aven told him. "You do the same. And thanks again for everything."

Max nodded, giving her one last smile before heading off. Once he was out of sight Aven exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Checking her phone, she was confused to find she had no new messages. She was late for the designated meeting time so she found it strange he hadn't tried contacting her to find out where she was.

Aven decided to go to the meeting place anyway thinking maybe he'd anticipated her being a little late. Once she arrived, there was nothing to do but sit and wait.

She did so watching the people in the distance begin the day, the streets gradually growing becoming more and more filled. Aven waited an hour for him without any calls or any sign of him. Finally she got fed up with it and called his phone instead. She put the phone up to her ear and waited.

"Kupo kupo! Kupo kupo!"

The sudden sound startled Aven so badly she nearly dropped her phone. "What in the world?" It sounded horribly familar... what was even weirder was the noise was coming from her own pocket. Instead of leaving a message, Aven hung up and groaned.

She slowly slipped her hand into her pocket, and when she retracted it there was another phone in her hand. Reno's to be exact. The annoying bastard had recorded her moment of embarrassment and set it to his ringtone for her. Now she was even more determined to find him, if for no other reason than to kill him for saving that crap.

"Fine...then if you won't come to the meeting place I'll just go find you. And if I have to save you...I'll rub it into your smug little face." She grinned at the idea of him being indebted to her and set off for the Southern half of the city in search of her missing comrade.

* * *

* Smack! *

Reno grunted slightly as a large beefy fist landed on the side of his face. There were bruises clearly on his face and his clothes were showing signs of being battered as well.

"Tch, not much of a Turk if we caught him this easily," a deep voice grunted after pausing in attacks. "He can take a lot of damage though...and he still hasn't said anything," the other man in the small room replied. "For all we know he could have a partner in this town. We have to find out soon so we can get rid of them too."

Reno stared down at the floor, noticing the vision in his left eye was a little fuzzy. The eye felt swollen but he couldn't tell for sure. The taste of blood had been saturating his mouth for a good hour now.

These monkeys were at least intelligent enough to speculate he wasn't the only Turk in town. He wondered how the kid was doing. _"Well, if she has any skill she'd be done by now. She might even be sitting at the meeting place wondering what the hell is taking me so long? Heh, by now she's probably figured out she has my phone. I wonder what she'll do…. she's a little too proud to call Tseng for help."_

His head turned as another blow hit his face.

_"Aw hell, she's probably still too pissed to even care. I still don't get what the big deal was. It was just a moogle outfit. Not like I slipped her some laxatives like I did with Heideggar. Or filled his cigars with Chocobo greens. Ha… that was funny as shit. Tseng's still pissed at me for that. But how was I supposed to know that shit caused hallucinations in humans?"_

Another hit, this time to the stomach. Reno coughed a little, spit and blood dribbling from his mouth.

The guy grabbed a fistful of Reno's hair and pulled his head back. "You ready to talk yet, Turk?"

"What the hell do you want, an apology?" Reno asked with a grin. "Alright, how about this? Sorry I didn't finish the job, I'll be sure to make it up to you by killing your ass dead before I leave."

The man holding his hair tightened his grip at these words and forcefully brought the Turk's head down to meet with a knee. The sound of something cracking was loud and Reno could tell his nose cracked a bit as a little blood dripped from it. Then the hand left his head and the second man put a firm hand on the other's arm.

"Don't kill him just yet," he murmured. "We need to make sure that we find the other Turk before the race starts up. The last thing we need is Shinra breathing down our necks while we destroy those Devil Riders."

_"So they were planning to appear to race the rival gang only to completely wipe them out the first chance they got,"_ Reno thought as he continued listening to the two men.

"I won't kill him," the first man stated seething at the red head in front of him. "But I'll make him wish he was dead...before making him talk and doing the same thing to his partner."

_"I already wish I was dead,"_ Reno thought. _"It's so goddman boring here. These guys have no sense of creativity whatsoever."_

Still… whatever happened, Reno hoped the squirt didn't come looking for him.

* * *

When Aven got to the south side of Junon, she really hoped she'd find the red head, and soon. The young girl was starting to wish she'd changed back into her Turk uniform before she decided to go on this rescue mission. The area was sketchy at best, and not many of the people there seemed very friendly. She worked on making herself as discreet as possible, sticking to the shadows and trying to make as little contact with people as possible.

Aven knew her first priority was to find someone who belonged to the Hell Sweepers, then use them to track down their base. Then she could sneak in, bust Reno out, and they would be home free. She wasn't even going to try the sweet talking routine with any of them. Not after what she heard from Max.

After searching around the area for anything that seemed like it could lead to Reno, Aven was starting to get the feeling that it was a lost cause; until the race she'd probably have no chance of so much as spotting any of them. She was about to give up her search and wait for the race to force one of them to tell her, when she spotted exactly what she'd been looking for. Just down the nearest alleyway, she was able to see two largely built men both sporting large jackets with the symbol of the Hell Sweepers on their backs. She silently celebrated her good luck and snuck closer to them so she could find out where their hideout was. As she paused just behind them she could finally make out what they were saying to each other.

"Man, can you believe it?" the one on the left was laughing. "Who'd have thought that a Turk would show up at the initiation of the new recruits?"

"Yeah, seriously," the one on the right replied. "I wouldn't have thought they'd be so easy to beat either. I mean that guy went down in no time."

"I'll bet he crumbles in no time and spills any information he has about his partner," the first one declared. "There's no way a guy that tiny will be able to last."

_"Oh come on, he's not that small,"_ thought Aven. Then again, nearly everyone Aven met felt larger to her. The bane of having such a small stature. Sigh…

This was good though! At least now she knew for sure what happened to him. From the sound of things he was still alive too. Making sure to keep out of sight, and at a safe distance, she taled the two males. It didn't take long until they led her right to their hideout.

_"Score!"_ she thought in triumph. So far so good. Now she just needed to get in, get Reno, and get out. _"Just you wait, Reno. I'll have you groveling at my feet in gratitude."_

She waited until the two men had entered the building they led her to before beginning her search for an alternate entrance. At first she didn't see anything, but then a single open window on the third floor caught her eye.

"Good thing these buildings are so close together," she thought for the first time being grateful for the layout of the city. She took a deep breath, before running at the building next door and launching herself off the side so that she was high enough to use the top of the window of the building she wanted as a platform and was soon standing on the edge of the desired open window. "Piece of cake."

Once there, she glanced around the small room making sure there was no one present before silently slipping inside and making her way to the door. She had no idea where in that place they'd be keeping Reno, but she did have an idea of how to find it out. Based on what she'd gleaned from the two she was following, these guys had some pretty loose lips, so all she had to do was listen in on a few conversations and presto...she'd have Reno's location.

Aven crept around the hallways, being as quiet as she could and listening carefully for anyone else who might be coming her way. She went down a floor which seemed to be a little more populated. As she snuck by one of the rooms, she heard a group of guys laughing and chatting inside.

"… then we can stick it to Shinra," she caught the last part of someone's sentence.

"So what? The boss thinking about usin' em as hostages?"

"Why not? Turks are best known as Shinra's lap dogs. I bet they'd put out a hefty amount to get em back. An' supposedly there's two in the town so that's double the spoils."

"Where's the boss keepin' em at?"

"Down in the cellar of course. Only place where anyone in Shinra belongs… underground."

They all roared with laughter at this. Aven groaned in disgust before quickly moving on. Great, so she just needed to get down to the cellar without being spotted.

It sounded easy enough, but it soon became very clear that things would be much harder. There were a lot more members in this gang than with the Devil Riders, but they seemed to be dumber. There were a few close calls on the second and first floors where the men walked right by her without noticing her but for the most part she didn't have any troubles reaching the staircase leading to the basement.

"Heh, morons," she thought as she reached for the door that separated the staircase from the rest of the building. Just as her fingers touched the doorknob, the door was suddenly thrown open smacking her in the face and momentarily stunning her.

"Hey, who let a kid in here?" she heard a deep voice demand as she looked up through her watering eyes.

Aven quicky gathered her wits, doing her best not to panic. "Um… I'm really sorry. I got lost and… sorry, I'll just go back the way I came." She attempted a quick retreat but the guy grabbed her wrist, effectively stopping her. Aven noticed his knuckles were bloody. But it didn't look like the blood was from him being injured.

"Not so fast girly," he said smiling at her with crooked teeth. "Since you're here, you might as well stay a while."

"No... thank you," she said trying to pull herself free.

"Oh, but I insist, toots," he replied pulling her closer, his bruising grip tightening over her forearm. "Yous a little young… but I'm sure there's someone here who'd like ta gets ta know ya better."

Not knowing what else to do, and desperate to get free, Aven dipped her head forward and bit down on the guy's hand. She bit so hard the taste of dirt and blood filled her mouth and the guy yelled before letting go of her, yanking his hand away. She bolted, running as fast as she could away from the man.

"SOMEONE GET THAT KID!"

The call seemed to reach all parts of the building as suddenly doors left and right were thrown open allowing men from all directions to come pouring out into the hallway. Even with all her skills, Aven could tell there was no way she'd be able to fight that many strong men on her own...especially without her weapons with her. She slowed to an almost stop seeing the hallway in front of her blocked before noticing a single door off to her right that had not opened.

"That's it!" she thought as she quickly threw the door open and ran to the window.

Unfortunately the window was all boarded up and she knew she didn't have the upper body strength to break it open.

"Heh, looks like you're all out of room to run."

Aven turned to look her attacker's in the face, her back to the boarded window and her mind racing. There had to be something she could do in this situation. How could she explain getting caught while trying to save her comrade? She'd never live it down.

_"Calm down,"_ she thought to herself. _"This is what you've been training for. Remember your training. Plus you've taken down guys twice this size before!"_

Yeah… one on one maybe.

Aven took a quick glance around. There were at least a dozen people in the room alone. If she could somehow manage to at least stun them long enough to reach the exit. She still had some low grade ice and cure materia, but she left her gun and chain whip behind. Stupid move… STUPID! What was she thinking coming to a place like this unprepared?

Whatever she needed to do something RIGHT NOW! The man closest to her came at her, intending for a grab.

"Blizzard!" she shouted.

The frost hit the guy and coated his skin. He shouted in pain as the instantaneous hypothermia hit, slowing his movements.

"That kid's got materia?" one exclaimed as she directed the blast to the next person blocking her path.

The man she'd already hit had stumbled to the side screaming as he held his freezing arm. Catching them all off guard with her skill in using the materia, she was able to push all the way to the door until one of them stepped up fast enough that his right hook caught her full on in the chest sending her flying back into the room. When she landed, one of the larger brutes ran over and put all his weight onto her arms keeping her in place while a slightly smaller one straddled her.

"Now try fighting back...you little brat," the one over her stated as he put his hands on her front and started pulling at her clothes. "You may not have much yet...but I'm still going to have plenty of fun with you."

Aven gritted her teeth as she tried to knock both men off of her but she was unable to. Then suddenly, from the back of the pack, there came some shouts of surprise followed by the sound of people hitting the floor.

Through the noise Aven could hear the sounds of sickening cracks and the crackling of electricity. She tried to see what was going on but couldn't see past the man who was over her. Her captor turned his head just in time for his face to meet a well aimed kick which sent him tumbling off of Aven. The man who held her arms stupidly froze, and Aven looked up to see Reno standing over her with the business end of his EMR against her holder's throat.

"Don't," Reno said in a low voice, "touch my moogle."

The guy let go and had time to do nothing more when Reno switched the rod on and electrocuted him. He fell to the floor, either unconscious or dead.

Aven just lay there, feeling both relieved and ashamed. She'd come here to save Reno, only to get saved by him. How humiliating was that? Still… she couldn't deny she was grateful to see him.

Said red head at last stared down at her, his face bruised, battered and swollen. Yet he somehow still managed to grin. "You alright there, squirt?"

"Better than you," Aven muttered looking away as she pushed herself up onto her hands. "How did you get out anyway?"

"With all the racket you were causing it was easy to get the watch dogs reduced to one,"Reno answered holding a hand out to her. "I figured you needed a hand so I made my escape a little earlier than expected."

"Idiot...I wouldn't have come here at all if you didn't get caught in the first place," she muttered brushing herself off as she got to her feet ignoring his hand. "But...thanks anyway...for pulling me out of that. Now let's get out of here and put a stop to that race." She paused on her way out and turned back to him pulling out one of her materias. "Oh...here." She lifted her hand and muttered cure, fixing the bruising on his face and any other shallow injuries. "There...now we're even."

"Aw, so you DO care," Reno stated with a snicker.

Aven shot him a glare. "No I do NOT. I just didn't want to have to explain to Tseng why I'm the only one who made it back. And your face is hard enough to look at without it bleeding all over the place."

Reno just grinned. "Admit it, you were worried. I saw it in your face, after I took those guys out, you were happy to see me."

Aven replied by giving him a good shove before walking out of the room. The guy was so infuriating sometimes… but she did have to admit, she was glad to see he was okay. She couldn't deny she was grateful to him for helping her out of that particular mess.

"Oh, hey, before I forget," Reno said easily catching up with her. "Can I have my phone back?"

"Sure." Aven smiled reaching into her pocket and pulling out the phone. Then she cranked her arm back and threw it right in his face, smacking him in the forehead with it.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he demanded catching the phone before it hit the ground.

"For that stupid ring tone, you jerk," she answered steaming. "Erase it now and I won't kill you later."

"Seriously? But it's really cute, and there's no way I'll ever see or hear it again," Reno argued. Aven shot him a look that clearly said if he didn't she'd kill him before marching off. "Alright alright, see it's gone," he lied, calling after her. There was no way he was actually getting rid of it...it was too perfect. And chances were that in their line of work she'd eventually lose that innocence. He wanted something that would remind him of who she once was.

* * *

Once they were out of the gang's hideout and in a safer part of town, Reno called Tseng and filled him in on what all had happened so far.

"Hmm...it sounds like this feud is going to be blown out of proportion," Tseng commented. There was a moment of silence before he continued. "Reno, I need you and Aven to stay and help make sure this race doesn't end up causing unnecessary damage or harm to innocent civilians. If the Hell Sweepers attempt to destroy the Devil Riders there will no doubt be collateral damage in the fight. Stop it at all costs."

"You can count on us," Reno replied before hanging up. "Okay, so it looks like we'll be sticking around for awhile. Ready to stop a fight between the two gangs?"

"Not really...but I do want this to be over with soon," Aven answered with a shrug. "So...any idea where this fight is supposed to break out?"

"Yeah, those guys who were beating me were bragging about it like no tomorrow," he told her with a smile. "I got more information out of them as a captive than I probably would have otherwise."

"Okay, so where is it then?" Aven pressed him.

"They're going to start the race on the east side of town and work their way west into military territory. The stakes are higher there. And get this, they were even planning on doing a game of chicken right on the nose of the Mako Cannon."

Aven's eyes widened. "That's crazy!"

"Maybe, but it's definitely worthy of a bucket list," Reno said. "Luckily our concerns don't lie with these punks. We just have to make sure no one else gets hurt."

"True enough," Aven murmured. "So, I guess we'll wait near the mako cannon or something like that while the infantry keeps watch over the rest of the track?"

"Yeah something like that," Reno answered with a grin. "Think you can handle it?"

"I sure as heck ain't gonna need your help," she retorted turning away from him. "I'm gonna go change. The race doesn't start for another few hours so I should have enough time."

"Hold off on that for just a bit," Reno said to her. Aven wanted to protest of course butReno just led her to a rather nice looking hotel.

"What are we doing here?" Aven asked curiously.

"You'll see," he told her as he led the way inside.

The hotel was very clean and bright looking on the inside. Aven hung back while Reno talked to the desk receptionist. "Alright, I got us a room."

"Why?" Aven asked. "And how? Aren't places like this expensive?"

"Yeah, but Junon's a Shinra military city. Since we're employees of Shinra, and Turks to boot, we get special benefits," Reno explained ushering her towards the stairs. "Now come on."

Aven sighed before following him up the second floor. When he pushed open the door to the room Aven was speechless. In the center of the room there was a single bed that was enormous and could fit ten people. On the table was a basket with snacks and water. There was also a large TV and a nice looking bathroom with a pool for the tub.

"Whoa…"

"Yeah, not too shabby, huh?" Reno said, smirking at her reaction. "Anyway, I gotta go run a few errands, but you can stay here in the mean time and get some shut eye."

Aven turned to him in surprise. "You're leaving me here?"

Reno laughed. "Were you looking for some special alone time?"

Her face flushed red. "That's not what I meant!"

"Look, you're running on maybe a couple hours of sleep right now," Reno replied seriously placing a hand on her head. "You need to get some rest so you can be ready when the big race starts. You might have to do some fighting."

Aven frowned knowing he had a point and not liking the fact it was a good one. "What about you?" she asked him.

"I don't sleep much anyway," Reno answered with a shrug. "I function just fine on only a couple hours." After this explanation he turned around and headed for the exit. "Anyway, like I said, get some rest. You're going to need it."

He left after that and Aven sighed before deciding to take a bath and wash off all the grime from the night before as well as what she accrued from her rescue attempt. She didn't stay in the tub for long as the size made it difficult for her to do so, and in no time she was crawling into the center of the enormous bed. It was so squishy and warm around her that in almost no time she was out like a light.

* * *

Reno spent the next few hours rounding up Junon infantry men and alerting them to the blow out come sunset that evening. Tseng had already alerted city officials at that point, and while soldiers didn't care much for the Turks, they still knew better than to mess or argue with one. After all that annoying stuff was taken care of, Reno went and had himself a sit down at one of the local bars. He limited himself to only one… okay two… just enough to relax him a little, but still keep him on his game.

When it was getting close to sundown he finished his drink and headed back to the hotel where he left the squirt. She was there still, curled up on the bed, fast asleep.

"Well, isn't that precious?" he thought with a small smile.

Reno quietly approached the bed looking down at her. She looked so small and vulnerable. "Heh… the moogle costume really does fit her better than the Turk uniform."

At any rate, they still had a job to do.

Reno got up on the bed, and whistled tunelessly as he began folding the bed sheets around Aven who began stirring a little. Then Reno began rolling her so that soon she was completely wrapped up in the bed sheets. He kept pushing until she tumbled right off the bed with a squeak.

Reno laughed hard as he watched Aven struggle hard against the wrapped covers. Once she was disentangled, she stood up and looked around quickly finding the red head smirking at her. "What the heck was that for?" she demanded angrily.

"It's time to get up kid," he chuckled lightly. "You're a pretty heavy sleeper, how else was I going to get you up?"

"Try saying something," she stated gritting her teeth.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked with a shrug. Aven started fuming as he chuckled again and headed for the door. "Anyway, we've got to get going. That race will start soon."

Aven grumbled in irritation before following him out. She had to say she felt a lot more comfortable back in uniform… or at least in any case less vulnerable. Once outside Aven noticed the sun was fading fast over the line of blue ocean. She had to jog a little in order to keep pace with Reno's long strides.

"We're heading towards the cannon, right?" Aven asked him, keeping at his side.

"That's right," Reno affirmed. "The Junon military will be patrolling the rest of the city, but I doubt it'll slow those biker punks much. Which is why you and I are gonna be waiting where we know both gang leaders will be."

"Are we going to have to kill people?" she asked him.

"There's always that possibility," he told her unflinchingly.

"Yeah, I know," she muttered in light depression. She honestly hoped that things stayed calm enough to where they wouldn't have to take more lives. "So what's the plan then? When they reach our position just stop the race and arrest the racers?"

"Something like that," Reno replied easily. "Though, from what I heard from those Hell Sweepers this is the spot where they plan to ambush the other racer. So we'll probably reel in a good chunk of both groups."

"Well, that's good. At least when this is over they'll stop running a muck all over the town," Aven nodded. By this time, the pair reached a platform just to the side of the Mako Cannon, the edge stretching out over the ocean. "So where should we set up?"

"You stay here," Reno instructed her. "I'll be heading down a little further to head them off. If you need backup you know how to reach me."

Aven nodded and he gave her a reassuring grin before heading off further down the street. She glanced around before sitting down out of sight from any who might pass by. She did her best not to let her nervousness overtake her. All she had to do was wait for the right moment and then strike. Take down the leaders and end this silly feud once and for all. No biggie, right?

As she waited, she double checked her equipment, making sure she was nothing short of prepared for taking down multiple enemies.

For Aven who was sitting and waiting for her targets to approach, it took a very long time before she heard the tell tale sound of running motorcycles heading her way. She waited until the first one came into her line of sight before releasing a blizzard attack freezing the ground just as the motorcycle hit the area and went skidding across the ground flinging its rider from its seat. The other cycle skidded to a halt just before the patch of ice. She wasn't surprised to see that the rider she'd knocked over was the leader of the Devil Riders she'd met before but she didn't recognize the other from the Hell Sweepers.

"Hah, this is a perfect outcome," the man still on his cycle laughed. "Alright, now's the time men. Get rid of this joker and show the city that the Hell Sweepers are now in control of it all."

The red head biker quickly leapt to his feet and drew out what looked like a steel pipe from his jacket. He wiped at a gash on his face which was seeping blood and he uttered a stream of swears as he prepared to face off against a swarm of Hell Sweepers.

"You want me, come and get me you pieces of shit!"

Aven leapt into action, with the intention of helping him, firing blizzard spells at their feet and freezing them in place. However, she saw the Devil Riders' leader holding his own quite well, taking down one after the other in spite of being impossibly out numbered. While he was nowhere close to matching several of them in size, he was fast and precise, but he lacked Reno's grace and proficiency.

"Wow," Aven thought in amazement. "He's pretty good."

She tore her eyes away from watching his fight as she continued taking out their members one after another, even knocking one out before he could attack the gang leader. He turned in surprise at seeing the guy fall and was heavily shocked at seeing Aven standing in plain sight with her whip flying in every direction taking out every Sweeper that came her way. "No way...that kid was a...Turk?!" he thought dodging another enemy. "I'm seriously going to have to kill Max for bringing her into the hideout."

By this time, the commotion had drawn a lot of attention as Reno appeared and started taking down a few of the guys as well and a few of the infantry men stationed there started firing away as well.

After a few minutes, the number of fighters was dwindling down and Aven sighed as she walked slowly away from the rest of the fight to take a short break. She was breathing heavily and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Once she was out of the immediate line of fire, she glanced around looking for the three main people. Reno was enjoying smashing the skulls in on a few of the closest members to him, the Devil Riders leader was fighting off several more on his own, and the other gang leader was... She froze when she realized he was nowhere to be seen. His bike was right where he'd left it when the fight started but he'd managed to slip away unnoticed.

"Looking for me?"

Aven spun around, seeing the hulking leader tower over her. He must have crept up in her blind spot. The guy was a lot cleverer than she gave him credit for. He swung and she dodged around, only to get kicked square in the chest. The small girl was knocked backwards, crashing into metal. Then she felt whatever she landed into give way and she went tumbling backwards.

_"How strange…"_ Aven thought as she suddenly experienced the sensation of weightlessness as she fell. The wind was rushing in her ears and she watched as the sky was suddenly sucked away along with her consciousness.

* * *

CM: Nice cliffhanger, huh? As always we do our best to balance the darker tones with cute and lighter moments. The funnest stuff to write by far is Aven and Reno's interactions. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget to review. :D


	15. Slap on the Wrist

**Chapter 15: Slap on the Wrist**

"AVEN!"

Reno had been so preoccupied he hadn't even seen the danger she was in until she went tumbling over the edge of the platform, her white hair disappearing from sight. Shit… even if the girl survived a fall like that, she couldn't swim! Then he saw something rather baffling. One of the biker guys, the other leader in fact, stripped off his jacket and shoes, plowing right past the leader of the Hell Sweepers and dived right off the platform and into the drink below. What a crazy mother-fu…

"Hahaha! This is perfect!" the remaining gang leader cheered. "First a Turk and now that piss poor excuse of a leader! I'll be famous!"

Hearing this exclamation, Reno finished off the opponents he was stuck with before shooting across the platform to where the gang leader was and driving his EMR into the man's legs breaking one and damaging the other enough to where he had no chance of getting back up. Then he turned to where the remaining gang members stood along with the Junon infantry.

"Alright, you and you, take mister happy here into a nice cell and get his legs fixed." The two infantry men nodded and started their new job. "The rest of you, round up any and all members of both gangs you can find." The others nodded and started herding the stunned Hell Sweepers away. As they all started heading in different directions, Reno managed to catch one of them.

"You, can you fly a helicopter?"

"Well...I have once or twice but…"

"That's perfect," Reno said grabbing the man by the arm and leading the two of them toward the helicopter pads. "I need to go up now and I need a pilot for this one."

* * *

A few minutes later, Reno was up in the air searching the water for any signs of life. For several minutes they found nothing, and the red head was beginning to wonder if both she and that biker kid had drowned. If she did end up surviving he was going to give her a good scolding.

"Sir," the infantry man said from the pilot seat. "If they fell from the platform, then chances of them surviving are…"

"Did I ask for your input?" Reno drawled, not looking at the guy, keeping his eyes down to the water. "Didn't think so, now shaddup and pilot."

The man did indeed shut up, and continued to fly over the water. A few more minutes passed in silence, and Reno was about to tell the guy to do another round when he almost jumped out of his seat.

"There!"

In the water, Reno saw two people, one of them having a matted mess of white hair. As he continued to inspect, she appeared to be unconscious and was only being kept afloat by a second person. _"Must be the guy who jumped off after her,"_ Reno thought. _"Why though?"_

"Alright, pull us around and keep it steady right above them," he ordered getting out of his seat and heading to the side door. "I'll pull them up from here." The pilot nodded and did as he was told.

* * *

There was a lot of pain as the leader landed headfirst in the water but he pushed it back as he immediately started searching for any sign of the girl's white hair. He'd watched her go over the edge and without really thinking it through, he dove over the edge after her. It didn't take long for him to spot her as her hair was like a beacon in the dark water and he quickly latched onto her and pulled her to the surface.

"Maya...Maya wake up!" he shouted trying to keep her head above the water. "Tch, that's probably not even her real name," he thought looking over her uniform again. "She's a freakin' Turk, why did I even do this?" he wondered to himself as he continued to shake her trying to get her to open her eyes. "Dangit Max! You owe me big time for this."

Seeing as how it looked like she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, the leader situated the girl to where she was on his back before he began the long, LONG swim back to shore. He was cursing the whole way as the waves sloshed under and over them. It was hard to swim with the extra load, and once or twice he thought about just leaving her. But he immediately discarded the thought as soon as it came.

Turk or not… she was just a kid.

The leader heard a roaring sound approaching over the water and he looked up to see a chopper heading their way. Were they looking for the girl? For him? The helicopter passed over their heads before coming around and stopping several meters above them, causing the surrounding water to ripple from the chopper's blades. A few moments later a side door in the flight craft opened and a something was being lowered down. As it came closer, the leader noticed it was a harness attached to a thick cable.

"Good," he thought, eager to get rid of the troublesome baggage.

When the harness touched the water, he made his way over to it and with some difficulty fastened the young girl into it. After that he began swimming away. As far as he was concerned, he'd done all he could and wanted nothing more to do with it.

* * *

It took a little bit, but eventually the harness reached the top of the helicopter where Reno was waiting and pulled Aven inside. Once that was finished, he closed the door and ordered the pilot to head back to port. After giving the order, he returned his attention to Aven who was still unconscious.

"Shit, she's not breathing," he muttered laying her out as flat as he could on the floor of the chopper. He then tilted her head back and, placing his mouth over hers, began the process of resuscitating her. After a few tries, she started coughing up water and her eyes slowly opened.

"H-hey, Reno," she muttered after her eyes were able to focus on him. "I think I'm ready to get those swimming lessons now."

Reno exhaled a sigh of relief and sat back, brushing the girl's wet hair out of her face. "You're a real handful, you know that?"

"Shut up," she mumbled closing her eyes again.

Even though Reno had intended to scold her, he decided to save it for later, after she was done recovering.

On the way back to Junon, Aven fell asleep and didn't wake up even after their arrival. Reno figured she needed to get some sleep so he let her stay in the chopper while he went to see what had happened after he left. It was only when he got back that he woke her up.

"Hey, you'd better wake up. You don't want Tseng to see you passed out when we get back right?" Reno asked as Aven slowly opened her eyes.

"No...she muttered forcing her aching and tired body to get up and into the passenger seat. "Are we headed back already? What happened with the racers?"

"Well, the leader of the Hell Sweepers and all the men that went in for the ambush were taken into custody...the leader with a few extra broken bones than the others," Reno answered easily. "A few of the Devil Riders were found and caught and I'm pretty sure there won't be another race like that here for quite some time."

"What happened to the leader?" Aven asked curiously now started to fully feel awake, though her clothes and hair were slightly stiff from the dried ocean water.

"Don't know...he's the one that dragged you out of the water and got you in the harness, but after that I didn't see him," Reno answered with a shrug while he finished up his check list. "Anyway, all in all mission success...though that's two you owe me now."

"Oh man… I hope he's okay," Aven mumbled, thinking about the gang leader. She wasn't sure why she cared so much. Maybe because he had let her stay even though she was a total stranger? Or the fact Max seemed to admire him so much? Or the fact he'd saved her even after learning she was a Turk? "I hope he didn't drown."

"Well, if he did, at least he did something good before he kicked it," Reno said in knee jerk reply.

Aven cringed at his blatant lack of caring but she said nothing against it. She knew they couldn't afford to care about every single person who became a victim in their line of work. She hoped Max was okay at least, and that he'd gotten out safely.

She felt a hand ruffle her wet hair. "We got a few hours," Reno told her. "Get yourself together in that time."

"Right," she muttered not bothering to knock his hand away. As irritating and as big a pain as he was...he did save her twice now. Maybe she really had been blowing things out of proportion. He really didn't seem all that bad when you look at what he did for her despite her ignoring him.

By this time, with the checklist finished, Reno and Aven threw on their headsets as the redhead lifted the chopper off the ground. "So...want me to give you the bird's eye tour of this Island? I may be able to squeeze an extra bit of time out of our trip to show you all the major cities," he offered as their trip began.

Aven took a moment to think it over as she stared out the window. Then, looking back at him, she replied, "Sure, sounds like fun. Oh...and Reno...thanks, for everything."

Reno smirked at her getting in a laugh. "Awe...does this mean the feud is over? I kind of liked seeing the pissed off you."

"Well, knowing you, I won't be that far from it," she jibed with a little smile of her own.

He laughed again before flying the chopper out of Junon, leaving the waste filled city behind.

* * *

The trip around the continent was surprisingly fun and Aven had to admit, while she preferred having her feet on the ground, she rather liked being above the world and looking down. He showed her Fort Condor, some caves, a swamp which held giant Midgar Zoloms, a chocobo ranch, and a small town outside of Midgar called Kalm. They all looked like fun places to explore.

Once the tour was over, Reno hightailed it back to Shinra where Tseng was eagerly waiting for them to report in.

"You certainly took your time getting back," Tseng commented when the two of them strolled into his office.

"Sorry, but since the kid's never really seen the rest of the continent, so I figured I'd show her around a bit while we had the chance," Reno answered with a shrug. "She knows it now though."

"Would you quit calling me kid," Aven requested sighing a little, though she didn't look nearly as upset as she used to. "Anyway, it was a successful mission sir."

While Aven spoke, Tseng took in her less that professional looking appearance. Some of her hair looked matted and there were lines on her face where her hair had been stuck before. Her clothes looked like they'd been air dried and then fixed up with Reno's sense of style.

"Care to explain you appearance?" he requested before either of them could explain what they did on the mission.

"Uh..."

"She went for a dip while chasin' one of the Devil Riders," Reno cut in quickly. "Funniest thing if you ask me."

Aven had to refrain from gaping at the red head, lest she give the whole thing away. She didn't understand why he was covering for her.

Once they delivered their report, Tseng seemed rather satisfied with the account. It seemed the two of them managed to work through their rough spot, and for that he was grateful. "Well done, both of you. I'll admit at first I was nervous sending you both as a pair. However it would seem my concerns were needless."

"Damn straight," Reno said with a cocky grin.

Aven was smiling also, trying not to appear too pleased.

"Now go get cleaned up, I'm sure you're looking forward to a day off," Tseng told them. "Just be sure to be ready to be called in should the need arise."

"As always Tseng," Reno laughed. "Come on squirt, let's grab some chow."

He put his hand on the side of her head and started pulling her away but she managed to pull away. "I will, sir," she said with a salute to Tseng before Reno got impatient and dragged her out of the office.

"Why did you do that?" Aven asked him as they took the elevator down.

"Cuz you weren't moving your ass fast enough," Reno replied leaning against the glass window. "Honestly, if you feel like you need to kiss up to Tseng that much…"

"Not that," Aven snapped irritably. "I mean… you didn't say anything about me getting caught in the Hell Sweepers hideout or… or why I really fell into the ocean and almost drowned."

"Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me." Reno reached over and pinched her nose between his fingers, causing her to yelp. "What the hell were you thinking letting your guard down like that? I don't mind you owing me for saving your ass twice now but I'm not always gonna be around for that you know."

"First off, the one in the hideout wasn't because I let my guard down," Aven snapped back smacking his hand away. "I was trying to save your butt because you were caught and didn't show up at the meeting place and..."

"And you were worried I got that," Reno cut in. "And you seriously thought they over powered me? Come on...you still haven't been able to land a solid hit on me yet. You've nicked me a few times but that's it. If I had been caught for real, you wouldn't have stood a chance anyway. Besides it was more aimed towards the platform...what the hell was that?'

"I needed a breather," Aven muttered glaring at the floor now. She knew what he meant and even agreed with him that she'd done something stupid...but it still rubbed her the wrong way to hear it so harshly. "I thought the infantry men had things under control and didn't notice the leader was gone until just before he was on me. Yeah I know it was stupid...but I honestly never expected one of them to be smart enough to slip away in the commotion. They all seemed like dumb brutes to me."

"And to them you seemed like nothing but a little brat who took a wrong turn and didn't have a clue how she got there," Reno said severely. "You don't ever, EVER underestimate your opponent. That's the sort of thing that will get you captured or killed for sure."

"Okay, okay, I got it," Aven muttered, trying not to let it show how humiliated she really felt. "I won't do it again."

"As long as you learned something from it…" Reno took her wrist and gave it a light slap before dropping it. "Lecture's over."

Aven rubbed her nose and sighed. If Reno was that harsh she could only imagine how much Tseng would have reamed her for it. Maybe he really had done her a favor.

"Anyway...I'm starving...let's just get something to eat," she muttered as the elevator came to a stop and headed out the door.

"You go ahead, there's something I gotta do first," Reno told her before hitting a button and letting the elevator door close.

Aven watched him leave then shrugged her shoulders and headed for the TK where she found Cissnei, Haruto, and Rude were all sitting and relaxing while watching TV.

"Hey guys," she greeted with a smile. "Whatcha' watchin?"

"News," Rude answered.

"Nothing really interesting, but it is relaxing anyway," Haruto added turning to look at her. "I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece."

Aven smiled before looking around at all of them. She wanted to ask them all something… but she was so embarrassed.

Cissnei's attentiveness did not miss Aven's telltale behavior. "Something on your mind?" she asked kindly.

"Um, well, there's something I want to ask," the younger said evasively. "It's… embarrassing really, but it's sort of become a matter of importance." Now all three were looking at her, making it all the worse. "Gah, I'll just come out and say it then. I… wanna learn how to swim… and I was wondering if… maybe one of you could… teach me maybe?"

"Oh, Aven." Cissnei's face looked apologetic. "I would but I'm usually so busy. I'm not sure I'd be much help."

Aven nodded in understanding as Haruto got to his feet and approached her. "Aven, I would love to teach you how to swim," he said warmly placing his hand on her shoulder. "It would be my ultimate pleasure to..."

"No." Rude's voice cut through Haruto's answer sharply. "I'll do it."

Aven smiled at this and quickly went over to him and gave him a hug. "Thanks Rude, you're the best."

"I offered first," Haruto muttered under his breath looking rather slighted.

Cissnei giggled softly. "Looks like Rude's gone into big brother mode on us."

"I don't see why I can't teach her," Haruto muttered. "It's just swimming."

"Swimsuit," Rude muttered back as Aven let him go and sat on the couch next to him.

"She's still too young for me to be looking at her like that," Haruto groaned. "I appreciate beauty and I think she'd look stunning in a..."

"Exactly."

"You might as well give up Haruto," Cissnei chuckled. "You know that when he gets like this you'll never win."

"It's okay, Haru," Aven continued trying to make him feel better. "Maybe I'll try learning a thing or two about sword fighting. You could teach me that."

Haruto thought about this a moment before smiling. "I look forward to it."

"So, did you and Reno manage to solve your difference?" Cissnei asked curiously.

Aven attempted to run her fingers through her tangled hair. "Yeah, sort of." Though…. he chewed me out pretty bad."

"Mmm, that's to be expected," the older female said with a smile. "Don't take it personally. Everyone makes mistakes during their early missions. Plus, the fact he scolded you just shows that he cares."

Aven thought about that, and she didn't have too hard of a time believing it. He was almost like sand paper, rubbing you in the most irritating and painful of ways, but still making everything a little smoother after the fact. "He's… an okay guy, I guess," she muttered.

"See...those pranks seem like harmless fun now right?" Cissnei asked warmly.

"Nope," Aven replied easily making all three of them look at her curiously. "They were his way of being a pain in the butt...and I will always try to find a way to get him back. I may not go into another grudge fest with him...but I refuse to lose to him either." Rude sighed and Aven just giggled. "Don't worry...I promise not to let things get out of hand like last time again. I'll try to draw a truce with him long before it does."

* * *

"Man, I'm so bored."

Aven travelled through the streets of Midgar, trying to find a way to kill some time. She'd already completed her training for the day, and everyone else was busy with there own thing. She decided to stick with touring around Sector 8, just in case she got a call back for something. She wandered down a street which had a bunch of kiosks lined up. Each had different stuff and Aven couldn't help but have a look around.

Most of the stuff seemed to be things people hand crafted. She was rather impressed by the different materials people used: glass, metal, even food. She stopped at one table which had a bunch of what appeared to be wooden dolls. None had any real detail beyond their shape. No clothes, no faces or hair, nothing.

"Good afternoon," the lady tending the table said with a toothy smile. "We currently have a deal going on. Five dolls for 350 gil. Or ten for 500."

Aven looked at her nonplussed. "Um… why? They're all blank."

"Well, of course they are," the girl said with a laugh. "You're supposed to decorate them yourself. You know, with paint and stuff."

"Really?" Aven asked taking a closer look at one of the dolls.

"Yes, using your own imagination you can make them look like whoever you want," the girl explained cheerfully.

Aven thought about her words and continued to stare at the doll. Then all at once she imagined a specific look on the doll and she exclaimed in excitement. "I'll buy 10!"

Half an hour later she'd taken the 10 dolls, bought some paint and returned to her room. Here she quickly pulled out the first doll and began to paint.

Several hours later, Reno came into his room feeling bushed. He'd been put on escort duty that day, which depending on who you were assigned to could be a big pain in the ass. Today was just boring as hell. He checked his watch and saw it was nearing dinner time. Figuring he'd could pop in on the squirt and see if she was up for a bite to eat, he headed over to her room.

"Hey, kiddo, you home?" he asked, popping his head in without knocking. He was met with the odd sight of Aven sitting on the floor with a bunch of paint tubes, brushes, a bowl of water and…. Dolls?

"Ugh! I just can't get this right!" she muttered. "And it's my last one too…"

"Uh, what are you doing?" Reno asked moving closer and picking up one of the dolls. "What are these?" The one he was holding had painted on red hair, black messy suit and wide eyes that only had a single dot of blue in the center.

"I...I found them," she muttered mostly to herself not fully registering the red head's presence.

"You, found these," Reno repeated staring at the creepy doll. "Right, I'd love to see the place that sold dolls of me."

"They aren't you."

"They look a lot like me," Reno pointed out.

"Coincidence," Aven muttered brushing his comment aside.

"This looks creepy as hell," Reno muttered, staring at the wide-eyed doll.

"It does not," Aven said though her tone suggested she wasn't far from agreeing with him.

"Are you kidding me? It looks like some sort of zombie voodoo doll."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Aven muttered, exhaling a frustrated sigh through her lips.

"Heh, you're getting awfully defensive over a doll you just _found_," Reno remarked.

Aven wanted to smack herself. "Ugh, fine. I bought a bunch of blank dolls and I tried painting them to make it look like you. But I can't for the life of me get you're stupid smirk right. And it just wouldn't be you without you're stupid smirk."

Reno looked up at her as she said this and the corner of his mouth automatically quirked up.

"That's it! Just hold it right there!" she shouted having finally turned to look at him. He almost lost the smirk at this but only increased it instead.

She was grinning widely as she slowly spread the paint across the doll occasionally looking up at him. Seconds later she held it up to look at and grinned in triumph.

"Perfect! That's all I really needed, a dummy."

"Don't you mean model?" Reno asked raising an eyebrow as he tried to get a peak at what she was so proud of.

"Nope," she answered quite pleased with her own work.

He managed to snag a glance at it, and he had to admit. It was pretty good. The face was more detailed, with the correct shape and color of his eyes, the arch of his eyebrows, the slant of his nose, and his mouth curved up in his trademark smirk.

"Not bad, huh?" Aven asked proudly.

"Well, it's certainly a master piece compared to the others," he commented looking at the ones discarded on the floor. "Just one question, why me?"

"Well, I wanted to make one of everyone," Aven explained. "But I didn't want to make them look bad, so I decided to start off with you until I got it right."

"So...I was the test run," Reno stated looking at the others once more.

"Well, yeah, you were the only one I wouldn't feel guilty about not getting right," Aven explained as she stared to clean up. "If I got Tseng wrong and he saw it I'd probably get in trouble."

"Ouch," Reno sighed. He watched her picking up the discarded dolls and used paint when a thought struck him. "How long have you been working on these?"

Aven paused for a moment before she found the clock and her mouth opened in surprise. "All day it looks like," she answered.

"Have you eaten?"

His question was almost immediately answered when her stomach gave a loud gurgle. "Hehe, I guess I got really sucked in," she said as she put all the dolls on her bed.

Reno chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I did say you needed a new hobby." He patted her shoulder. "Come on let's go get some food."

"I need to clean up first," she told him, showing him her panted hands. There was also some smeared on her face.

"You're fine, just leave it until you get back."

"I'm not getting paint on my food," she muttered looking down at her hands once more.

"Right," Reno laughed as she headed for the bathroom anyway. "Something tells me you wouldn't have eaten today if I hadn't said anything."

"I would have eaten," Aven retorted from the bathroom, the sound of water running almost drowning out her response. When she was finished cleaning up she exited and glowered at him. "So where were you wanting to go?"

"Just to the TK," Reno answered with a shrug. "Planning on eating whatever I can find."

Aven smiled, and flicked her hands, spraying him with water. "Well, let's go then," she said quickly heading out the door.

Reno brushed the water off his face, smirking as he followed her out. "I'll get her back later."

* * *

CM: D'aw cuteness. Yeah, we decided to deviate a little from the plot there. But sometimes that's good. Well, you all got to meet a special future character (for those of you who know of Before Crisis). The next one will be loads of fun, so look forward to that. :)


	16. Sewer Rats

**Chapter 16: Sewer Rats**

Aven had done a lot of exploring during her days on her own, but where she found herself at this very moment just took the cake. She currently stood on the dingy streets of Sector 3 staring down into the opening of a manhole. The smell wafting up was horrid and for a moment she thought she was going to get reacquainted with her breakfast.

She reached up and pressed the button of the microphone attached to her shirt and spoke into it. "All clear, Rude?"

She waited a few moments before receiving an answer in her ear piece. "Clear."

Then she heard Reno's voice. "Have fun, squirt. Don't forget to wear the mask I gave ya."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," she replied before she began securing the mask over her face that would allow her to breathe without risk.

"I envy you guys so much," Reno said in false whimsy. "Getting to go down and trudge through the muck while I stay up here where it's nice and clean… well, CLEANER. Some people have all the luck."

Aven turned and flipped off the truck that was parked across the street. Inside the red head sat at the wheel enjoying a steaming cup of coffee, the grin on his face contradicting the words he'd just spoken. It was a crude gesture she didn't do very often, and only to him.

"Nice squirt, make sure Rude doesn't see that," Reno chuckled in her ear.

"Just shut up and let's get this started," she muttered as she began climbing down the ladder. When she reached the bottom she pulled out her flashlight and began moving it slowly back and forth looking for anything that might be a threat. "Okay, I'm at the bottom. I'm not seeing anything right now."

"No sign of entry," came Rude's reply. He had gone down a separate manhole so the two could basically do a pincer attack when they reached the main base.

"Well of course not," Reno sighed to the both of them. "You honestly think they'll make it that easy to locate em? Their smugglers. Their whole game is secrecy."

"You really think they're involved with Wutai?" Aven asked as she navigated her way through the passage, taking care not to step too close to the edge of where the waste flow was. The last thing she wanted to do was take a dip in smelly gray water filled with strangers' bodily fluids and lord knows what else. The air itself was damp and acrid, seeping into her skin and clothes. She would definitely need a shower after this.

"They've been getting around somehow," Reno said. There was a pause, possibly him taking a drink of his coffee. "The sewers in the older districts are very rarely checked and maintained. Makes it perfect for all kinds of nasties to go in and out without anyone knowing."

"What about monsters though?" Aven asked curiously. "Wouldn't they cause problems?"

"Normally yeah," he answered sounding almost bored. "But there are ways of making sure monsters don't get into certain areas. Plus with those things running around it's almost like having a built in security system."

"Yeah I guess," Aven mumbled as she continued on her way. The path before her was very dark though she was still able to see rather well thanks to the flashlight. Up ahead she could see the path splitting off into two different directions. "Alright I made it to a fork...which way should I go Reno?"

"Hang on," came the reply. She waited a few moments looking down both paths again seeing nothing but filth. "You're gonna wanna take a right, squirt, and then the next path you can take, make it a left."

"Got it," she replied heading in the direction she was ordered. In next to no time, she reached the next branch and took the left one finding herself near what looked like an iron gate.

As Reno had suggested, it's upkeep was poor, possibly nonexistent if the rust and fungal growth was any indication. A few of the bars were missing creating a hole large enough for a small person to slip inside. Well, wasn't that just lucky? Aven wriggled her way through the gap, doing what she could not to get too much of the grime and residue on her suit.

Once through, she didn't go very far before she spotted something glinting on the ground. Curious, she stooped down to pick it up. It was a chunk of materia. From the looks of it, it was a pretty decent grade.

"Hey, guys," she said into her pic. "I found something"

"What is it?" Rude inquired before Reno could.

"Materia," she answered. "I'm not sure what kind, though if I had to guess it could be a Skill variety." She'd learned about the different types of Materia from Haruto. "I think it might be unfinished."

"Unfinished...are you sure?" Reno asked sounding a bit confused.

"Yeah...I think so," she replied looking it over closer. "It just doesn't look quite right to be a completed one."

"What where they smuggling?" Rude asked suddenly from the other line. It was clear he too was curious how they got a hold of something like unfinished materia...and what they were doing with it.

"Tseng said it looked like weapons of some sort. Nothing specific so we need to keep our eyes peeled for the exact types."

"Roger that," the two replied from their end. They were all hoping that the assessment was wrong and that weapons were not what was being brought in.

Aven quickly pocketed the small object as she continued along paying closer attention to her surroundings now that that she was drawing closer to the main base.

In the command truck, Reno was watching their progress on a computer screen. Pulling his mic closer to his mouth he whispered, "You should be coming up on a control room soon." She heard the double tap of the mic key as Rude acknowledged the signal. This was the signal they were now under radio silence. They could hear, but they needed to keep quite.

Coming around a corner, the tunnel opened up as several more tunnels converged. In the middle of the intersection, sat a small cube-shaped structure. It sat atop a small platform, a ladder peaking out of the sewage and connecting to the steel platform. As Aven watched, she noticed a couple of black garbed figures moving around the outside of the structure on the platform. She flipped off the flashlight in her hand (which didn't do much in hindering her sight) as she began moving stealthily along the edge of the tunnel. She saw the rungs of the ladder were almost rusted through and instead of taking her chances with it Aven moved to a point where the corner of the platform came within just a short distance of the tunnel ledge. Jumping the distance, she caught a handrail on the edge of the platform and hauled her way up and onto it. She worked to still her breath before continuing. Easing closer to the edge of the cube, she could hear the sound of muffled chatter coming from inside the control room. She managed to catch shreds of the conversation.

"Is it ready to move out yet?"

"Almost. We still have a few more to load up before taking it to the meeting place."

"How much are we getting for these?"

"Enough. We may even be able to leave the city finally. We can start expanding our business out to Junon even."

Aven drew herself closer to the edge to get a peak at what she was hearing. As she reached the edge she saw four men standing around the control center. She couldn't make out what they looked like, but even from that distance she could tell their clothing was filthy and torn, but they had a few accessories that didn't fit.

A door opened from the adjacent side of where she was, light flooding out from the inside as another one stepped out. "Heads up, guys. Boss is in a pissy mood."

"What for?" the nearest one to him asked.

"Inventory, we're missing a few items," the other said with a sigh. "Plus from what I've heard, Shinra's been sniffing around. I think we will need to pull up stakes and start doing business elsewhere before they close in on us."

"But this is the best place for this sort of thing!" another protested. "Plus we managed to get a hold of some high class items this time around."

"Yeah, but after what happened to that other guy… our employers are already thinking of cutting us loose."

Aven froze. Could the man possibly have been talking about Justin?

"Sounds like you're right on top of it squirt," she heard Reno tell her almost making her jump after the long period of nothing. "Wait for the right moment and take 'em out."

She lightly tapped the mike to let him know she'd heard him and continued to observe the men below. She reached down and rested her hand on the butt of her gun preparing to send a high leveled ice attack which would cover the entire room.

Before she could manage it though, something clattered on the scaffold inches from her head catching her attention just as it exploded. The explosion knocked her from her perch into the control center, the blinding flash from it momentarily blinding her.

For a few moments Aven lay there on the floor, dazed and sore as excited voices and footsteps moved all around her. Then she felt a hand grip her and haul her up onto her feet. The first thing she did was impulsively grab at her mic, pressing down on the button that allowed her to speak into it.

"We got one! We actually got ourselves a Turk!" One said right next to her ear.

"Kinda small though, ain't she?" another asked dubious. "Does Shinra really hire em so young?"

"You kidding? They probably hire little kids to do their dirty work for em."

Aven, in the meantime, worked and blinked away the bright spots and dust in her vision. Before her eyes could get readjusted, however, one of the guys had the good sense to tie a blindfold over her eyes.

"Hey hey, don't forget to search this kid," one ordered as she suddenly felt several hands going over her.

After a moment of finding her weapons and discarding them, she heard one of the men yelp in surprise. "She found one of the unfinished materia!" He must have held it up as the others let out exclamations of surprise.

"How'd she even manage to get a hold of one?"

"Someone must have dropped it along that corridor after forcing one of the bars off."

"Idiots, I told you we can't let the Turks see crap like this, they'll figure out what we're bringing in and that'll be bad for business." The man who spoke sounded like he was sort of in charge. "Anyway, I just got word back that we caught the other one in the storage room. Let's load 'em both up and get moving. With two Turks we should get paid double by those Wutain bastards." She heard footsteps moving away from her before they stopped once more. "Oh, and make sure to tie the kids hands good and tight. Kid or not she was still hired by the Turks and there's probably a reason for it."

Aven felt her arms roughly pulled behind her back and her wrists bound tightly together by some sort of cloth. Guess they didn't have enough money to invest in handcuffs. She almost stumbled as her captors began marching her in some unknown direction. Well, darn, this kinda sucked. Not only was she captured, but Rude as well. She hoped Reno had been paying close attention and was keeping track of their positions. From the sound of things, she was sorely outnumbered, so for the time, she would go along and hope a chance of escape came her way. It was either that or risk getting beaten and possibly shot. After quite a bit of walking the damp acrid air gave way to a drier and less stinky smell.

She heard the rumbling of a car in park as well as the sound of boxes being loaded. "Load her in with the cargo," someone said. "Be sure to tie her legs up too."

"Right," the man holding her replied as two of them lifted her up into a space with a few wooden boxes around her. She felt one of them begin wrapping a cloth around her ankles. "Alright, the Turk is ready for transport."

"What about the other one?"

"He's in the other truck. We actually had to fight him a bit. Took several shots to the head before we finally knocked him down."

"Shit...well make sure to search them both before we take off. We don't want either of them to get loose and cause problems."

"Already did," one said in irritation.

"Well search her again," the other ordered. "We can't be too careful when it comes to the Turks."

After this conversation Aven felt one of them start sifting through her coat. They didn't really find anything as they'd already taken everything from her. Then one of them noticed her hand clamped shut and forced it open finding the mic.

"Shit, this one's been sending everything we've said to one of her buddies," he exclaimed giving her a kick to the gut as punishment for the act.

Aven impulsively curled up with pain and she coughed a few times. It wasn't crippling though. Rude's punches hurt way worse.

"Alright, that's everything," one of them said, and the truck shifted as several of them exited the cargo hold.

Aven heard doors slam shut and the outside noise was muffled as she was closed in. Well, this was a bit of a messy situation. She began testing her bindings. For the cheapness of the material, they were wrapped pretty tightly. She tried to sit upright, only to fall over onto her side as the truck pulled forward and began moving towards their destination.

The truck was musty and she found it difficult to get any bearings with the blind fold on. Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for a bit of pain, she started moving her head back and forth across the floor managing to shift it up on her head. Once it was there she blinked a few times and smiled to herself as she found her eyes were back to normal. With her sight back, she was able to push herself up into a seated position and lean against one of the many boxes to keep her balance as the truck bounced along whatever street they were on.

Immediately she began looking for something she could use to free her hands and was pleased when her eyes landed on a nail whose tip had been hammered through the wood and was sticking out the other end. Taking a moment to look around the small cargo hold, she made sure there was no one around to see what she was doing before shuffling over to the loose nail. Once she could feel the point against her arm, she moved her bound wrists up and used it to begin working on the tight fabric.

It was slow going, especially with all the bumping around, and after a while her arms were really starting to ache with discomfort. However, her persistence and patience paid off and she was able to saw through a strip of the fabric. Then, grabbing the dangling end with her fingers she was able to slowly pull and shake it loose. Her arms sprang free and she sighed in relief.

"Much better," she murmured, rotating her shoulders. After freeing her legs, she stood up and took a glance around at the wares. "Geez, and this is just one truck."

Aven rubbed her head, wondering what to do next. Rude was on another truck, if her guess was correct, en route to meet their Wutain adversaries. It wouldn't do to show up unarmed, even if her hands and feet were now free. She needed to escape and then meet back up with Rude. She grinned. Maybe she'd even end up saving the day.

Slowly and carefully, she made her way to the front of the truck where she could see a small window that led to the cab. It wasn't much but it was at least big enough to slip a single arm and her head through if need be. She took a quick peek through the window and saw two people in the cab. Both had dark hair and seemed to be laughing about something. She'd shut them up pretty quickly.

With only two people to worry about she quickly scanned the boxes and found one that was carting guns. A smile spread across her face seeing this and she had to laugh to herself. What was the point in removing her weapons when she was being carted in a place full of them? She shifted through the guns until she found a small handgun that had pretty high caliber ammo and cocked it. It was time to stop this little trip.

Slowly, she drew closer to the window once more and managed to silently slide it open before reaching her arm in and knock out the passenger and then pointing the weapon at the driver. "You're going to slow down and stop. Be sure to tell the other truck to stop as well. Say you're having engine trouble or something."

The driver tensed, angry but also wary. If he'd heard enough rumors, he wouldn't take the nature of a Turk lightly, no matter what he or she looked like. His foot moved from the gas to the brake pedal and slowly eased the truck to a stop on the side of the road. He radioed in on his cheap walkie talkie, repeating the message the female Turk had instructed him to say.

"That's a good boy," Aven said before knocking the driver out as well.

Then she shut the window and climbed onto one of the crates next to the door, flattening herself as much as she could against the wall. If she wanted to pull this off, she needed the element of surprise. She waited, and after a few minutes she heard outside the truck people coming around. Then she heard the exclamations of surprise and confusion. They must have discovered the unconscious bodies. Aven tensed when she heard the squeal of the lock being thrown loose and waited for the doors to be thrown open.

As soon as the doors were thrown open, she jumped off the crate kicking the nearest one in the face, shooting another in the head at point blank range and focusing the gun on the final one.

"Nice of you to let me out," she murmured lowly. "Now, you're going to open the back of the other truck and release my comrade."

The man didn't argue as he slowly moved back towards the second truck. Once there he knocked twice on the back door and it slowly slid open revealing one last man standing in the doorway. Apparently they'd been smarter with Rude, probably because he'd actually been able to fight before they caught him.

As soon as the door was open and the other man was visible, Aven shot his leg dropping him in an instant. "Alright, drag him out and get him tied up," she ordered the other man. While he was working on this, she glanced up to see Rude stepping out the back rubbing his wrists. There was a little dried blood on his bald head where they'd struck him. "Hey, Rude. I knew you'd get out."

He gave her a single, measure nod and a grunt of approval. "Good work."

Aven beamed happily at the small praise. The two of them searched each of the persons, until they located their phones, weapons, and the equipment they had brought with them.

"Want me to call him, or do you want to do the honors?" Aven asked Rude. The large man made a gesture with his hand, letting her know to go ahead with the call while he took care of the smugglers as well as investigated the contents of the trucks.

Aven dialed Reno's number and waited for the red head to pick up. "Yo, squirt! What took ya so long?" His voice was rather jovial, meaning something good must have happened on his end. Either that or he was relieved, maybe both. It was hard to tell with him. "I was beginning to think I was gonna have to save you again."

"Very funny," Aven sighed. "We've managed to stop both trucks. Rude's going through the contents right now. What's happening on your end?"

"I got a hold of Tseng to let him know to start looking for another mole," Reno explained lazily. "After this little incident it's only obvious they had someone on the inside letting them know you were coming...though how they found out is beyond me. Any sign of those Wutain bastards?"

"Not as of right now," she answered feeling slightly nervous about the whole thing, though she tried not to let it show. "We were on our way to the meeting place but I figured it'd be better if we weren't tied up when we arrived."

"Probably a good call," Reno replied. "Anyway, I'm gonna let you go. Cissnei and Glasses just arrived. We're gonna go down where you guys were and tear the place up for clues. See if you can get any info from those guys who took you and Rude, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure thing," Aven answered before hanging up the phone. She went to the truck Rude was searching and called inside. "Reno, Haru and Cissnei are going down to investigate where we were. He says to get any information we can from these guys." An idea struck her. "Hey, maybe we could have them take us to the meeting place." She saw a troubled look on the bald guy's face and she became a little worried. "What's wrong?"

"The inventory," Rude told her. "Some stuff is missing."

Aven's heart fell. By 'stuff' she was sure he meant the strange item she had found during her time down in the sewers. Could there have been more than two trucks?

"Well, what should we do?" she asked feeling more nervous. "There's no telling what they're going to with that stuff."

"We'll see what we can get from them," he answered pointing over at the captives. "Then we'll have one take us to the meeting place to see what we can find."

"I take it we'll just leave the rest for pickup?" Aven guessed. He nodded and she returned it. "Well, let's get started." She went to retrieve one of the men to drag into one of the trucks while Rude prepared a few instruments he planned on using to get what he wanted.

* * *

Back at the sewers, Reno, Haruto and Cissnei were searching around the former storage place of the smugglers. Reno wasn't at all surprised to find the place almost entirely cleaned out, with the exception of littered trash and debris. Just what you'd expect from Sector 3; they were expert smugglers. He'd know better than anyone else in the Turks, having spent his share of years amongst them. It would be terrific luck on their part if they did manage to find something worth mentioning.

"It seems they were in quite the hurry," Haruto commented, stepping around the trash with impeccable finesse.

Reno snorted. "Well, yeah, wouldn't you be in a hurry if you knew Shinra had sent its hell hounds after you? Especially when you're distributing illegal goods to enemies of said company?"

"This is true," Haruto agreed. "I have to wonder though, just how much they originally were carrying and out of that, how much managed to make it to said enemy."

"Beats me, but the good news is the squirt and Rude managed to stop at least two trucks of the stuff," Reno pointed out as he turned over a large piece of trash to see if there was anything underneath it. "That should give us an idea of the kind of stuff they had."

"Of course," Haruto sighed shaking his head. "You seem to be forgetting something, however. If any of it made it to them, and we aren't careful, we could have another incident on our hands similar to that of three years ago."

"Hey, this is nothing like..."

"Guys, I found something!" The two Turks stopped in their argument to join Cissnei who was holding something up next to the control panels.

"What's up Cissnei?" Reno asked.

"It's a list," she answered carefully holding it up for them to see. "It looks like they tried to burn it and only partially succeeded."

"Lemme take a look at it," the red head said, holding out his hand.

She handed it over to him and he looked it over. Half of the paper had been burned away while what had managed to survive had been browned or blackened. The list was almost what you would expect; weapons, health items, parts and materials you'd have a hard time finding even at your best shops. The last partially readable item read: _Raw M…_ The second word had been burned away, all but the one letter.

"Raw M…" he muttered out loud. The M could have been the start of a number of words, but the squirt's discovery prior to her capture led him to the following conclusion. "Raw Materia? Raw Mako?"

"Both highly unstable and highly dangerous," Haruto commented, adjusting his glasses.

"This could spell trouble for us if we don't find it," Cissnei pointed out. "Even if it's raw now...chances are they don't plan on keeping it that way. There's no telling what sort of materia will be made from it."

"Yeah, no kidding," Reno agreed staring at the paper once more.

"We should report our finding to Tseng," Haruto stated pulling out his phone. "There doesn't seem to be anything else here so we should be on our way. At the very least we need to be ready in case those two need some back up."

"Right..."

* * *

Meanwhile, Rude and Aven were sitting in the cab of one of the trucks. They'd just finished their interrogation of the smugglers and left them all in the second truck for pickup. Now they were on their way with one of the men directing them on where to go; Aven being sure to keep close tabs on him. She was still feeling a bit green after watching the brutal interrogation conducted by the bald Turk but refused to show it. The last thing she wanted was to reveal to her captive that such things made her sick to her stomach.

Rude was actually surprised at how well she'd handled the torture. He'd almost felt like congratulating her for saving face in front of their captives. He didn't, of course. Those sorts of things were expected from her. He wondered if Reno and the others ended up finding anything useful. If they did, he was sure they'd hear about it later.

"So, when do I get to learn how to drive?" She asked from the passenger's seat. Rude might have laughed. They'd had this conversation before, but she wasn't asking in hopes that the outcome had changed. Like Reno, she didn't much care for silence, even in the presence of a hostile. He didn't mind though, so long as she remembered her job and didn't lower her guard.

"Eventually." He could see her pout of indignation in his peripheral vision and wanted to smile. She reminded him of her sometimes…

"When's eventually?" she demanded. "I'm old enough. I should be learning how to drive cars and pilot helicopters."

"You will in time," he answered calmly. It was a vague answer and she was irritated by it, but at the same time she didn't expect anything different.

"Take a right up here," the smuggler muttered as they came to a fork in the road. Rude followed the directions and shortly afterwards they stopped in front of a rather large building for the slums that appeared to be a bar/casino. Following the man's orders they pulled the truck around to the back where there was a loading door waiting for them.

Silently the two Turks exited the truck and made their way to the entrance. The two flanked the back entrance and on the count of three Rude kicked the door in and the two rushed inside, weapons drawn.

However, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing at all. Rude went over to speak with the owner while Aven stood by in case something did happen. When he returned, Aven looked at him. "Anything?"

He shook his head, a troubled frown on his face. The owner had claimed he'd been having some irregulars coming in lately, but none of them showed up tonight.

Aven sighed. "So we came all this way for nothing?"

Rude didn't answer. "Let's go back to the truck."

The young girl nodded in agreement and followed him out. "This time I'm driving," she declared, running up to the driver's side and throwing it up. She immediately stumbled back in shock, landing against Rude who caught her. Inside the cabin of the truck, the smuggler's body lay across the seat, his eyes staring at them vacantly. There was a look of faint surprise on his face and a single hole in his forehead trickled blood onto the seat.

"W-when did..." she started to ask unable to finish the question. Rude didn't need her to though. He was wondering the same thing; when did it happen? He calmly pushed her back onto her feet before walking over to the corpse and doing a quick inspection. There was no damage to the body besides what he himself inflicted and the single bullet wound.

"They came while we were inside," he stated after a little bit.

"You think it was the Wutain's they were supposed to meet?" she asked nervously. "Why'd they just kill him?"

"Because he must have known more than he'd told us before," Rude answered slowly.

Aven chewed on her bottom lip before looking away from the body. Suddenly she didn't feel like driving anymore.


	17. Nice to Bite You

**Chapter 17: Nice to Bite You**

When the two returned to Headquarters, Aven was sent to finish her written report while Rude and Reno went to deliver the verbal report. In no time the two were in Tseng's office along with Haruto and Cissnei.

"What happened?" the second in command asked first. He'd only received a small part of the goings on as he sent Haruto and Cissnei to join the others.

"They knew we were coming somehow," Reno answered simply. "They had an ambush waiting for the both of them. Luckily they highly underestimated the squirt and she got loose before settin' Rude loose too."

"Aven and Rude went to check on the place where the smuggler's were suppose to meet with the Wutains," Haruto included.

"And what of that?" Tseng asked looking to Rude.

"When we went to the meeting place, no one was there," Rude answered. "And they killed the person we had with us."

"Well, aren't they efficient," Haruto quipped humorlessly.

"They always have been," Tseng muttered in irritation. "What were you able to find in the smuggler's hold?"

"Only this mostly burned list," Cissnei answered handing over the charred piece of paper. "Everything else was either shipped in the trucks or destroyed."

Tseng took the list and glanced through the contents, his eyes settling on the final entry. "Raw M," he muttered under his breath. "Any clues as to what it's referring to?"

"Well, the squirt did mention that she found what looked like an unfinished materia," Reno put in. "Before they took it away from her of course."

"And none of this was found in either of the confiscated trucks?" Tseng inquired. When Rude shook his head, he released a short sigh of tempered frustration. Even after years of fighting against them, it sometimes seemed as if they made little to no headway. The resources and the people lost because of this war… "We'll continue our investigation," Tseng told them all. "We search for more leads, and we'll uncover our leak."

"Yes sir," they all replied as the swordsman and the female got to their feet.

"Keep your eyes open for that unfinished materia...there's no telling what they plan on using it for," Tseng warned them.

"You mean other than the obvious?" Reno asked in a teasing manner. At the look on Tseng's face he added, "Right. No problems there boss."

* * *

As winter gradually changed to spring, soon it was mid march. The days were beginning to get warmer and nature was allowed to blossom. Not that it made a big difference in Midgar. Springtime was nothing special, since there was little to no nature to be had in the vast city. Aven had to admit, while she was still fascinated by the city's grandeur, she missed the clean air and wide open spaces.

By this time she was fully settled into her role as a Shinra Turk. Her missions were fairly low maintenance, but she had already gone from Rookie status to Member, which allowed her a higher pay as well as free access to the training rooms. She just wasn't allowed to go to floor 49. The SOLDIER floor. Tseng had made that very clear.

The weeks of training were paying off. She was faster, stronger, and more flexible than she'd ever been. She was even getting some muscle tonnage. Sad to say however… she still hadn't met her goal.

"Ha! I win again, squirt."

Aven slowly picked herself up off the ground glaring up at the triumphant red head. "Yeah, you won," she muttered rubbing her body where it was sore. She couldn't exactly blame her loss on not enough sleep anymore as she pretty much no longer had her nightmares. Every now and again, she had a dream that involved someone she'd killed, but those were few and far between now. "How about a best 2 out of three?"

"That was number 5," Reno pointed out with a laugh. "Besides, we go another round and I don't think you'll be able to stand."

"Fine," Aven muttered rubbing her sore muscles as the two of them headed for the doorway where Rude was waiting. He'd watched their matches and a couple times had to remind Aven that petty moves were not cheating. "So any news about THAT thing yet?" Aven asked.

It had been weeks since her last mission entailing the Wutain threat and she couldn't help but ask about it now and again.

They both shook their heads. "Still nothing," said Reno.

"You'll know when there is," Rude told her.

"Right... so what's the rest of your day looking like?" She asked Reno. She thought she might go take a nice hot shower before heading down to the cafeteria for some food. She really didn't feel like cooking in the TK at the moment. Some company would be nice though.

Reno stretched his arms up and yawned. "I'm gonna go take a nap. I got the crappy shift tonight."

"What about you, Rude?" Aven asked the big guy once they reached the doorway. "Are you busy?"

"Paperwork," he replied.

"Ew," both Reno and Aven said together.

Not by design of course. Aven didn't like paperwork, but she didn't avoid it at any and all costs like Reno did. The girl was a little disappointed she'd be eating alone, but she'd just have to deal with it. Who knows, maybe she'd join Rude in getting her paperwork done after grabbing a bite to eat.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you both later then."

"Stay out of trouble," Reno said giving her hair a ruffle.

She shoved him in response. "Like you have any room to tell me that."

He just grinned as he headed off to his room while Rude headed for the offices. Aven went to her own room, showered and headed down to the cafeteria.

She really didn't want to take the elevator down, so instead she went through the stair well. Just as she reached her desired floor, she spotted a blur of yellow as someone came flying up the stairs to her right and slammed into her. Before she could respond in any way, she felt the stranger wrap an arm around her waist and put a gloved hand over her mouth before sliding into the shadows beneath the up stairs.

Aven's fight or flight instincts kicked in and she sank her teeth into the glove covered hand that was over her mouth as hard as she could. Her captor tensed but rather than jerking his hand away he fed her more of it while doubling the tightness of his hold.

"Hold still and be quiet," her holder whispered in a low voice.

Aven was a little confused by this. Her bewilderment, however, was cleared up real quick.

"Rufus, dear, where are you?" a high pitched female voice called from the adjacent hallway.

"He's probably gone to find himself a lady friend," a gruff voice replied before releasing a breighing noise which was supposed to be taken as a laugh. "Gyahahaha!"

The two voices continued conversing, getting fainter and fainter until they disappeared all together. Once they were gone the man let her go and she whirled around to look at him.

Aven was knocked for six by what she saw. It was a man older than her by maybe a few years. He had a very elegant appeal about him which was accentuated by a white, cleanly pressed suit. His blonde hair was neatly combed and his pale blue eyes carried a sharp quality to them. He was absolutely… gorgeous.

The stranger scrutinized her while rubbing his offended hand. "I've only ever been bitten," he said brusquely, "when my father took me to pick out a dog."

Aven quickly regained her composure. "Well sorry to bruise your ego...and your hand, but you're the one who grabbed me out of nowhere," she muttered crossing her arms in front of her chest. "What did you expect would happen? It almost felt like a kidnapping attempt. A really poor one granted but still."

The man looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. She could tell that he definitely looked like he belonged to upper class society and probably wasn't used to people talking to him in that manner, but then again would he really be so strong if he was? Well, she supposed that Tseng was probably a lot stronger than he seemed so she just ignored his possible status and focused on the situation at hand.

"Well, anyway, why were you trying to avoid those two?" Aven asked attempting to get some sort of information from him.

"Let's just say I needed a break," the man replied putting his hands down.

"Right I can understand that," Aven muttered thinking about her first time meeting Heidegger. "Anyway, I assume this means your name is Rufus?"

"This is correct," Rufus answered with an incline of his head. "I am indeed Rufus."

"Rufus…" she said slowly, looking over him once more. "Well, that's a nice name." She held out her hand in greeting. "I'm Aven of the Turks. Nice to meet you."

He didn't take the offered hand; he was still staring at her face. She could see amusement dancing in those baby blues of his. "You must be new," he stated finally.

Aven retracted her hand when she realized it wasn't going to see contact with his. "Well, yeah sort of." She'd only been a Turk officially for roughly two and a half months so she was still relatively new. She tapped the toe of her shoe against the floor. "So, um… I was heading down to the cafeteria for some food. Would you like to come with? I could buy you a drink as an apology for the hand thing."

Rufus appeared to ponder this for a few moments before nodding. "I suppose it's better than the alternative."

She smiled and led the way to the cafeteria. "You know, if you still don't want to be found I do have a few places in mind that the two of them never visit," Aven murmured as they walked through the door to the cafeteria. "If you wanted I could take you around and help you avoid the annoying duo."

Rufus smiled at this and nodded his head. "I believe that would be acceptable," he replied calmly.

She smiled widely at this and quickly bought herself some food and a drink for him. Then the two of them sat down at a table while people fled from around them. Aven was used to this by now and just shrugged it off not really paying attention to them and missing the glances they shot at Rufus.

"So, you really don't like Scarlet and Heidegger huh," Aven guessed after taking a few bites of her food. He didn't reply, but the look on his face told her enough. "Yeah, me neither. I can't stand that guy's laugh, and Scarlet...she's just too full of herself and the way she acts around Reno and the other guys makes me feel sick."

Rufus sipped delicately from the canned tea he had selected. She wasn't sure if it was up to his standards or not but he at least seemed to be tolerating it. "Yes, the hag does seem to inspire stomach illness. Perhaps you should stop talking about her."

"Right, sorry," Aven apologized. "So what kind of work do you do around here?"

"Mostly executive work," Rufus replied nonchalantly. "Nothing terribly interesting. But most of the people I work with are insufferable. Their only good points are they know how to get the job done."

"Well at least there is something good about them," Aven pointed out. "Though, they do sound really boring to be around."

"Indeed," Rufus murmured finishing off his drink. Just then, Aven's phone went off and she looked at him apologetically before pulling it out. "This is Aven," she said into the phone.

"Aven," the voice on the other end was Tseng's. "It seems the President's son has gone missing. We believe him to still be in the building so I need you to keep your eyes out for him and call in when you find him."

"Of course sir. I'll keep both eyes out," Aven stated into the phone before closing it. "That was my boss," she said turning to Rufus who was looking at her curiously. "Apparently the president's son is missing and I have to keep my eyes peeled." She paused for a moment as a thought occurred to her. "Now that I think about it, I don't really know what he looks like. Have you seen him before?"

A noise came from Rufus that might have been a more delicate version of a snort. "I might have," he stated slowly. "Have you not?"

"Well, no," she admitted sheepishly. "I don't watch TV really. The only reason I know what the president looks like is I was over at Rude's place one time and the news was on. I don't even know his name. I think they might have mentioned it while they were taking me on tour through the building but… I was preoccupied at the time."

"I see," Rufus said, his smile never dropping. "Well, if I see him, I'll be sure to inform you."

Aven was all smiles at this. "Thanks a bunch." She finished up her food and stood up from the table to dump her trash. "So… do you like shooting? Cuz I was gonna go to the gun range for some practice."

"Sounds delightful," Rufus said getting to his feet as well.

Aven was excited by the prospect of shooting with Rufus. It had been awhile since she'd had someone to talk to outside of the Turks and she wanted to make it last a bit. When they reached the shooting range Aven immediately set up two different areas right next to each other. She pulled out her own handgun and got it ready before turning to Rufus and looking around.

"So...what kind of gun...do you use?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, I have my own," Rufus told her pulling out a shotgun. "Shall we?"

Aven was very impressed by this and watched as he stepped up to the line and fired off a round hitting the target directly in the center. "Eek...he's really good...and I can't shoot worth beans," she thought feeling like the shooting range was the worse place to go. Grudgingly, she walked up to her own place and lifted her handgun, taking aim and firing off a single shot. It hit the target...but only just.

Keeping herself from being discouraged, she continued practicing her shots. Her accuracy was somewhat improving but her precision was still off, and by the end of the clip, she'd only hit near the center once.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" Rufus said from beside her.

Aven scowled up at him. "I'm not used to using a gun, and the thing keeps jerking around when I fire it."

"Then you need to readjust your position so you can fire with minimal disruption," Rufus told her plainly.

Aven looked at her stance and tried to figure out what position would make it easier to handle the weapon. Eventually she settled on turning so that her left side faced the target and pulled the gun back up. She took a deep breath before firing off another full clip finding that she was able to keep the gun still much easier.

"Hey, that was great advice," she exclaimed turning and slapping him on the back. "Thanks a bunch Rufus."

He gave her a look and appeared as if he was about to say something, but before he could a shout echoed across the shooting range.

"Hey, squirt! Didn't Tseng tell you, you were supposed to call in when you found him?"

They both turned to see Reno and Rude standing in the doorway. Aven looked at him with confusion. She figured he was talking about the president's son. "Yeah...but I haven't found him yet," she said with a shrug.

Reno gaped at her for a full two counts before bursting into laughter while Rude reached up to adjust his glasses.

Aven put her fists to her hips. "What's so funny?"

"He's standing right there," Reno said between laughs as he pointed to the spot beside her. "He's standing right next to you."

Aven turned to look up at Rufus who just smiled down at her. "You mean…" she said, her throat tight. "You're…"

"Rufus Shinra," he finished for her, his smile lengthening as he reveled in her shocked amazement.

Aven felt her breath leave her and she folded in half as she bowed low to him. "I am so sorry, Mr. Shinra!" she professed loudly. "I didn't mean to bite you or treat you so casually! Please don't fire me!

At this point Reno was on the ground while Rude was facing the wall, shoulders tense, hand covering his face.

Aven glanced over at Reno, laughing like he was, and glared in his direction while trying to remain in her humbled, apologetic state. This grew worse as her eyes spotted another entering the room and she quickly straightened and stood at attention.

"Tseng," she whispered unable to say anything else.

"Good work Aven, you found him," Tseng stated trying not to ask why the other two Turks were in their current positions. "Rufus, let us be off."

"Of course," Rufus murmured giving Aven his most dashing smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Aven of the Turks." Then he headed out the door with Tseng leaving Aven standing there stuttering after them.

As Aven stood there feeling mortified, she felt a hand clap down on her shoulder while another ruffled her hair. "Kid, I gotta tell ya," Reno said still coming down from his laughing fit. "You're awesome. I can't even remember when I laughed so hard. Damn…"

Aven shoved him off of her. "Shut up," she said too panicked to see how any of this was funny. What if she lost her job because of this? She grabbed her head and moaned. "I'm gonna get fired."

"Doubtful," Rude stated. He was back to his usual, controlled self.

"But…" Aven said looking up at him. "I… treated him so casually. I had no idea who he was… and I…" She actually caused him harm with her teeth.

"Heh, that kid don't give two shits about that formality crap," Reno said sobering up. "So where'd you bite him?"

"On the hand," Aven muttered in depression. "It's just...he came out of nowhere and grabbed me and pulled me behind the stairs. I just sort of reacted and bit the hand that was over my mouth."

Reno started laughing again, just not quite as hard. "Yeah, you don't have to worry about anything," he said through his laughs. "He probably found the whole thing pretty funny. He looked like he was enjoying himself at least. The only one you have to worry about is Tseng."

"Right...he thought I found him...but he was sitting right next to me when he called," Aven groaned. "I swear I'm never going to hear the end of this."

* * *

Later that evening, Tseng received a visitor. When he heard the tentative knock on his office door he knew immediately who it was and called them in. Aven stepped cautiously through the door as if worried the whole office had been rigged with landmines. She was holding in her arms a folder stuffed with papers.

"Good evening, Aven," Tseng greeted her.

"Hi," she said in return. "I, uh… came to drop off my paperwork." She said that, but from the way she behaved there was another reason for her coming.

"Is there something else?" he asked knowing she won't start it herself.

"Uh, yes," she replied giving him the papers but still not sitting down. "Sir...I, I did not find Rufus today."

Tseng raised an eyebrow at this. He had seen her with the President's son, so the idea that she didn't find him was a bit confusing. "Explain."

"Well...you see..." She proceeded to tell him the entire story of how she ran into him and didn't know who he was, how she got him a drink as an apology for biting his hand, how he was sitting next to her when Tseng called about him and she asked him for his help, and finally how she learned about his identity thanks to Reno and Rude. "So, really I didn't find him...he'd just been with me the whole time."

"I see," Tseng murmured lacing his fingers together in front of him. "It makes me feel somewhat relieved that he wasn't wandering the building by himself so good work. And you seemed to have made quite an impression on him."

"You mean...the bite marks are still visible?" she asked worriedly.

"No, I mean he seems to have taken to you," Tseng replied finally moving her paperwork into his pile. "He has requested that you be among his guards on his outing tomorrow."

Aven's mind reeled at this. This certainly isn't what she'd expected coming in here. "I'm not sure I understand, sir."

Tseng shook his head. "I've known Rufus for a long time, and even still I have trouble understanding what that boy is thinking. All I can tell you is it is best just to take it as a compliment."

"Ah, yes, sir," Aven said with a nod. Now she had a new worry, guarding the president's son. Was she really qualified for something like that?

"Rufus's guard generally consists of two or three people," Tseng informed her, sensing her concern. "So I will be accompanying you tomorrow."

Aven breathed a sigh of relief at his words. She felt much better knowing he'd be there to help out if anything went wrong. Then again, they'd probably remain in the city and couldn't imagine things going too wrong; unless the Wutains showed up anyway. "That's good to know, sir."

"He will be heading out around 0800 hours," Tseng informed her. "You will be up, ready to go, and at my office at 0700 hours."

"Understood, sir. Here at 7:00," she acknowledged with a salute. "I will be here."

"Good, now go get some rest, you will need it for tomorrow," Tseng sighed thinking about the next day.

"I will sir," Aven promised as she headed for the door. Before she left though and turned to face him. "Can I just say... it's going to be a real honor working with you tomorrow."

Tseng inclined his head in acknowledgement, offering her the smallest of smiles. She grinned and gave a quick salute before leaving. She was so giddy that she found herself almost skipping back to her room.

Reno and Rude ran into her in the hall. They appeared to be heading out. "You seem pretty excited," the red head commented.

"Not really," Aven lied. "I told Tseng the truth about what happened."

"So, I take it then you didn't get punished too badly," Reno commented.

"I don't know about punished, "Aven said kicking at the floor with her shoe. "But apparently Rufus has requested me to be his guard tomorrow."

There was a full beat of silence before Reno laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "I am so sorry."

Aven looked at him confusion. Why would he be sorry about that? Didn't Tseng say to take it as a compliment? "Well, I won't be going alone," she murmured slowly. "Tseng said he's going with me."

"Wow...that's even worse," Reno blurted out in amusement. "I don't know what you did to tick him off...but he must really have it in for you now."

Aven's eyes widened at this and she swallowed hard. "Is guarding him really that bad?" she asked trying not to sound too worried.

"Not usually," Reno answered with a shrug. "Then again, after what you did to him yesterday I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up in the hospital. I mean he's shot people for less."

Rude landed a smack on the back of Reno's head at this comment and sighed at him. "You're not helping."

"Was I supposed to be?" the red head asked rubbing his head. "Anyway, just make sure not to get mud on his shoes or dirty his suit...then you definitely won't stand a chance."

Aven groaned. She'd been so excited too. Leave it to Reno to destroy her good mood. "Thanks a lot," she muttered.

"Well, we're heading out so catch ya later," Reno said walking past her.

Rude looked to Aven. "It'll be fine," he told her.

The girl smiled at that and nodded, grateful for the small comfort. She watched the pair leave before heading to her room. After taking a nice warm shower she hit the sheets and willed herself to get some sleep, trying not to think about who she'd be spending the day with.

* * *

CM: Sorry for the delay, folks! Even though it's winter break, we've been pretty busy with life and stuff. Sadly my break ends after today, sad face, but we'll have the next chapter up sooner. :) That Rufus, such an entertaining character. Let's see what he has in store next time, shall we? Stay tuned, and please review. :D


	18. Walking the Dog

**Chapter 18: Walking the Dog**

The next morning Aven woke up early feeling too nervous to sleep as much as she needed. So, she killed some time by getting something to eat and getting in a quick workout before showering and going to meet Tseng at his office. She arrived just as he was about to leave. "I'm ready to go Tseng," she told him with a salute. "I've got what items and materia I thought would be necessary as well as my gun and whip."

"Good. Now let us be off. We are to meet Rufus near the entrance of the building in an hour," Tseng replied as he turned toward the elevator. "We will be there early to ensure that there are no hostile entities present before he arrives."

"Yes, sir," Aven acknowledged following closely behind him. She felt her stomach squirm thinking about this mission with her superior and what it would mean if the mission were to fail. The thought sent a chill down her spine, so she immediately pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to focus on the here and now not the what-ifs.

The two of them arrived at the front of the building and went about making sure there were no suspicious characters about. Aven made sure not to daze out by carefully inspecting everything, searching for anything that might come off as being abnormal. When Rufus arrived, he was a few minutes early, not that she really minded. Aven was pretty sure there were no suspicious activities about which would threaten Rufus. Not unless the guy was deathly allergic the smell of whatever cleaner they used on the glass front doors.

Rufus was escorted by two soldiers as well as a beautiful black dog attached to a leash held tightly within the young Shinra's fist.

"Good day, Rufus," Tseng greeted to the blond male.

"Hello, Tseng," Rufus said with a curt nod.

For some reason the brief moment of eye contact made Aven question the nature of their relationship. Her body automatically went erect when Rufus's blue gaze went to her. "Good morning, Mr. Shinra," Aven said mechanically.

"Just Rufus is fine," he said briskly before turning away from her.

Aven winced. Five seconds in and she'd already screwed up.

She glanced to Tseng who shook his head but gave her a look that said it would be fine. She took it to help her erase the mistake she'd just made and push forward. "Shall we get moving?" Tseng stated calmly as he held the door open for the President's son.

"Yes," Rufus agreed as he and his dog moved through the open doorway. Aven followed behind him with Tseng trying to look professional and somewhat intimidating hoping to keep anyone from getting the idea to attack him.

As they began walking silently through the streets, Aven watched the man in front of her and a thought occurred to her. "He's...almost as pretty as Tseng," she muttered to herself, though she didn't keep it soft enough to keep the both of them from hearing.

Rufus stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder at her. Aven froze when she realized not only had she said it out loud but he'd heard. She did a furtive glance at Tseng who had closed his eyes, pretending he hadn't heard her declaration.

Then the oddest thing happened. Rufus smirked at her. "Only almost?" he inquired mildly.

The young girl swallowed and glanced over at her superior once again, silently asking him if it was really okay for her to answer that question. Tseng sighed and wordlessly gave her the go ahead.

"Um, it's about the same," she mumbled in humility to Rufus. "Just in different ways."

Rufus gave an amused chuckle before continuing en route. "You've certainly found yourself an interesting one, Tseng."

"She's a novelty in many ways, sir," Tseng acknowledged.

Aven resisted the urge to hang her head in shame. Things were really taking a turn for the worse and they'd only just started. Her and her big mouth. As she continued to scold herself for her poor actions so far, she almost missed the man she was protecting's hand gesturing for her to approach him. She raised a curious eyebrow at this and looked to her superior once more. He simply nodded knowing that she was asking before she glanced his way and she nervously approached the higher class man.

"You wanted something sir?" she asked tentatively when she reached his side.

"Again, it's just Rufus."

"Sorry...Rufus, you wanted something?" she asked again mentally kicking herself for already forgetting his request.

"I'd rather you not be so formal with me," he murmured watching the shops they passed by. "Like how you were before. Relax, today you may be a body guard, but to you I am just Rufus." He smiled in amusement as he added, "The pretty man you met under the stairs."

Aven blushed slightly at this but nodded her head. For the next few minutes they walked in a semi-comfortable silence passing by many people who would bow in respect, wave, or simply follow the group with their eyes. Then Aven, taking his words to heart, attempted to start a more casual conversation. "So um...what's your dog's name, Rufus?"

"Dark Nation," he answered as a smile once more began gracing his lips.

"That's a nice name," she murmured. "Is he the one you mentioned before that bit you?"

Rufus chuckled at this remembering their encounter the day before. "Yes, do you like dogs?"

Aven thought about the question for a moment. "Well...I did grow up with a...pet...dog and we were really close. So I guess, yeah, I do like dogs." She turned her head to look up at him and smiled feeling the more casual atmosphere returning. Her smile faltered slightly for a moment as she thought about her "pet dog" and was sure he'd probably maul her for calling him that.

"Then perhaps you would like to try walking him?" Rufus suggested with an even wider smile.

Aven could have sworn she heard Tseng exhale heavily behind her. "Um, you… would it really be alright?" she asked. In truth she was more than willing to get better familiarized with the lovely animal.

The president's son nodded before bringing Dark Nation to a halt. "First allow him to become acquainted with you."

The young girl nodded before kneeling beside the black dog. "Hey there," she said softly reaching her hand out to pet him. The dog growled and snapped at her hand which she quickly withdrew.

"You're going to have to let him come to you," Rufus told her, his smile never faltering.

'Hmm, I wonder if that's the mistake he made when he first got him,' Aven thought curiously. She raised her hand again but made no move towards the animal. "It's okay, Dark Nation. I'm not going to hurt you, or your master."

Tseng stood aside, keeping a careful watch of the area while observing the pair. He had to admit he found the young Shinra's behavior towards the younger Turk to be rather intriguing. It was very rare Rufus ever entrusted the care of Dark Nation to anyone other than himself. The beast was also of similar mind, seldom letting anyone near him save for Rufus.

Aven left her hand where it was continuing to smile at the dog...then after a few moments of none movement, Dark Nation slowly approached her hand and sniffed it a bit. She kept it very still watching him catch her scent before moving past her hand and staring her in the face. She didn't move at all during this and met his gaze with as reassuring a gaze as she could muster. A few more minutes of non-movement and Dark Nation lightly licked her face before returning to his master's side and yawning widely.

"Looks like you made a good impression," Rufus chuckled as Aven wiped her face and grinned. "Here, why don't you hold onto him for awhile." He handed her the leash and she took it slowly while watching Dark Nation to see how he reacted. The small transaction didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Okay...let's go Dark Nation," she said calmly pulling lightly at the leash to let him know he could start moving again. He did so staying close to her side but continually glanced over at his master.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Tseng murmured as he joined Rufus in following behind the young Turk and the dog. "You honestly trust her enough to watch your dog...that is saying something."

"Hmph," Rufus grunted softly not looking at the man beside him but keeping his eyes on the girl. "As much as it dismays me to say, I can't take Dark Nation everywhere with me. I'd like to think there was someone proficient enough to leave him with during my more prolonged absences."

"Rufus, she's a Turk," Tseng lightly reminded him. "Meaning, her duties are no less demanding than yours. Besides, I'm sure you have people who specialize in these matters."

"Come now, Tseng," the young Shinra said with a shake of his fair head. "You know how particular Dark Nation is. Very few are willing to work with him."

"All the same…" Tseng sighed. He still didn't think it was a good idea to push something like this onto their newest member. Though he knew that if Rufus insisted on it, it would more than likely be final.

As they continued along watching Aven direct Dark Nation while laughing and seemingly having the time of her life, Rufus murmured something to Tseng. The Turk raised an eyebrow but the Presiden't son simply looked at him as if he knew exactly what he was doing. "Do you trust her abilities?" he asked calmly. Tseng nodded slowly. "Then let me do this." The Wutain had his misgivings about the idea, but he knew that look in the future President's eye and understood it was going to happen whether he approved or not.

"Just don't take it too far," he finally answered. The pristine man nodded and sped up to catch up with Aven while Tseng seemingly disappeared into the background.

"So, are you enjoying yourself?" Rufus asked calmly as he caught up with the female Turk.

"Yes, surprisingly. Dark Nation is really well behaved," Aven answered with a smile. "Though, we may have to cut the walk short. There are a lot of hostiles watching us." The last part she whispered while keeping her face as excited and happy as ever.

"And why should that matter?" Rufus asked her looking completely unconcerned at her news. Not surprising for a man who more than likely faced dangers such as these quite frequently. "Your job is to deal with the hostiles, is it not?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted, momentarily losing the smile. "But…" She would rather like to avoid any complicated situations if she could. Now she was beginning to understand Reno's warnings about this guy. He had rather high expectations.

"Then it should matter very little." He reached over and took Dark Nation's leash from her. "So long as you do your job. Now, shall we continue?"

"Ah… yes, sir," she said, deciding to agree with him. She took a quick glance around and noticed Tseng was completely gone from sight, nowhere to be found. She found this to be rather strange but did nothing to address it and continued sticking close to Rufus.

"I find it rather amusing...that you like pets," Rufus murmured after a time of silence. Aven couldn't decide if he was teasing her or just making small talk to keep the allusion that the enemy had not been noticed.

"Why's that?" she asked going along with it anyway. It helped her stay somewhat calm.

"Because from what Reno tells me, you are the Turk's pet," he answered easily. "Then again I suppose one pet may enjoy the company of another."

"He told you that? I am not a pet," she replied rather coldly. It really irked her to think he was still telling people things like that about her...though she had to admit the pet thing was new.

"Right, of course, I should have specified," Rufus corrected himself. "I should have said, pet moogle."

Aven almost fell over in shock when she heard that last phrase come from the executive's mouth. "He… told you…" Her small body quivered as it fought against the rage that was building up.

"More like he showed me," the blond explained airily, a small smirk gracing his lips. "I have to agree with him though. The outfit suits you well."

Even if the statement was meant to be a compliment it only made Aven even angrier. Oh, when she got home she was going to PULVERIZE that guy. It wasn't bad enough all the other Turks knew about it. But the President's SON?

"I am not a moogle," she said in low tones, trying her hardest not to let this news shake her. She had a job to do still. Job first, beating Reno to death with a blunt object later. "I don't suppose he told you about his purple hair?"

"I saw it first hand, actually," Rufus acknowledged with a smirk. "It was by far the most entertaining thing I had seen all year."

Well, that definitely made her feel better.

They were just leaving the busy streets of sector 1 and going into sector 2 by this point. As the number of people around then diminished into only a few, Aven turned to show Rufus something she'd picked up earlier only to feel something hard hit the edge of it and ricocheted off in another direction. At the same time the sound of gunfire reached their ears and Aven immediately began ushering her charge into a nearby alleyway.

"Okay...so I was right about a sniper," she muttered once they were behind the wall out of sight. "I was wondering why there were suddenly less people." She turned her attention to Rufus for a moment once she was sure they couldn't be seen. "Are you alright? You weren't hit were you?"

"No I'm just fine," Rufus answered calmly. He wasn't sure whether to call it skill or luck that Aven brought the item up just in time to deflect what might have been a deadly wound.

"Good...I'll probably need your firing skills in a moment. I'm sure the rest of them have guns and my whip is only a close to midrange weapon," Aven replied glancing all around them. "That and you already know I'm a terrible shot...though I am getting better."

Dark Nation gave a low growl, the hackles rising up in his jet black fur. It sounded like he was ready and willing to tear into whoever or whatever was foolish enough to threaten his master. He began straining against his leash but Rufus firmly pulled him back.

"Not yet," he commanded and the canine settled down some, but only just barely. "You seem rather calm," he noted to Aven. "In spite of the fact Tseng has been missing for quite some time now."

"I'm not worried," she told him as she made sure everything was in order. "Knowing him, he's probably ten steps ahead already. While we're drawing all their attention he'll be taking them out from behind."

"How optimistic of you," the man commented, while using his free hand to pull out his shotgun.

"I'm not being optimistic," she replied. She gripped her weapon tightly, readying herself. "I just…. I trust him."

"Hmm." Rufus made a noise of acceptance as he readied himself.

In the meantime, Aven pulled out her own hand gun and made sure her materia was properly fitted into the side. "Here they come," she murmured softly her face set and ready to do battle. "Let's do this."

She waited with Rufus and Dark Nation inside the alleyway until several men stepped into the mouth. They all had guns of their own out and trained on the three ready to fire at a moment's notice. One of the men opened his mouth to speak, but Aven didn't give him the chance as she immediately open fired. "Blizzard," she muttered releasing her spell as she pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed the man in the center's arm before freezing it over and making him drop his weapon as he shouted in pain. "That's one."

The men were startled and Rufus chose that precise moment to turn Dark Nation loose. The beast charged forward with a howl and tackled one of the men to the ground going for his throat. This in turn caused them to lose whatever formation they might have had. Two of the guy's aimed their firearms at the dog, but before they could Rufus plugged them both in the head with two clean shots. Meanwhile Aven had run forward and used her whip to disarm a few of them while using her blizzard spells to incapacitate them.

It took next to no time for them all to be defeated and Aven finished tying them all up, those who still lived, before checking on Rufus and Dark Nation. "Are you alright?" she asked getting to one knee and rubbing the dog's head lightly. She didn't see any wounds on either of them so that was a good sign.

"Yes, we're both fine," Rufus replied while his dog simply barked and licked her arm. "Shouldn't you be contacting someone to come pick them up?"

"Oh yeah," Aven said suddenly leaping to her feet and pulling out her PHS. She put the call in for someone to pick up the would-be killers before turning back to him. "I'm going to check and see if that sniper is still around. Wait right here for a few minutes."

She went to the edge of the alleyway and peaked around the corner looking for a building that could be where the first attack had come from. Seconds later she pulled her head back as a bullet crashed into the edge of the corner...so he was still there. She took a deep breath and with a protect materia held tightly in her hand, she walked out into the open and faced the building in question. She was sure that the attacker wouldn't have had enough time to reload his rife just yet so she was able to locate the building and roll to the side just as another shot came towards her confirming her suspicions. Then she got to her feet and aimed her gun up at the building in a threatening manner. The seconds seemed to tick by forever before another shot rang out...but nothing headed towards her.

Suddenly her phone went off and she did a double check on her surroundings before answering it.

"Well done."

Tseng's voice in her ear was a sure relief and Aven felt herself relax. "Sir?"

"The sniper has been dealt with," he informed her. "Get back to Rufus. I will rejoin you both shortly."

Aven acquiesced to his command and hung up the phone before heading back to where she had left the president's son and his dog. They were both still there, Rufus looking rather irately at a small bloodstain he'd found on the point of his shoe while Dark Nation sat idly by, scratching an itch behind his ears with his back paw.

"Everything's been settled," Aven informed happily. "Tseng's on his way to meet us."

"The sniper?"

"Like I thought, he found him and took him out," Aven answered with a wide grin. "He just called me and said to wait here for him to join us."

Rufus nodded and went back to glaring at the offending spot on his shoe. Meanwhile, Aven took a seat on the ground with her gun in one hand just in case and her other scratching Dark Nation's back.

"You were awesome, boy," she murmured softly. "You were really amazing too, Rufus. It's times like this I have to wonder why body guards are even necessary. You seem like you'd wipe out anything that came your way with or without our help...and I'm sure this guy wanting to protect you helps."

"Personal protection is a necessity, though I thank you for the compliment," Rufus replied with a smug smile. She really had a way with stroking his ego while simply stating her own opinion.

It was a few minutes before Tseng arrived and shortly after Shinra officials showed up. They immediately got to work cleaning up the mess as well as taking in the remaining living assailants.

"Are you ready to return, Rufus?" Tseng asked him once he was through speaking with the officials. "The president has sent a car to pick you up."

"That won't be necessary," Rufus declined. "I came out here for a walk and I intend to finish what I started." He gave Dark Nation's leash a light pull and the dog immediately rose to his feet.

Tseng could only nod his head in agreement, knowing no amount of arguing would convince Rufus otherwise.

As they began their trip back to HQ, Rufus glanced over to Aven who was absentmindedly stroking Dark Nation's fur while at the same time keeping an ever watchful eye.

"So, Aven, did you enjoy spending time with Dark Nation?" Rufus asked out of nowhere.

"Yeah, he's a good dog," Aven answered without thinking about it much. "He's also pretty brave and strong, taking down those crooks with guns." For a moment she adopted a voice parents usually use with their babies.

"How would you like to spend more time with him, when you aren't on missions of course?"

"Rufus..." Tseng started as Aven glanced up at him in surprise.

"I...I think that'd be pretty cool. Why?"

"I've been looking for someone adequate to care for Dark Nation while I'm away on business trips," Rufus pressed on, ignoring Tseng. "Since he seems rather comfortable with you, I wonder if you would be willing to take the job. You shall be well compensated for it of course."

"Well… I don't really care about that," she murmured, looking down at the canine when he gave her hand a small lick. "Would it really be alright though?" She looked to Rufus and then to Tseng.

Did Rufus honestly feel she was trustworthy enough to take care of a creature he saw to be a close member of his family? And would Tseng approve of her keeping a pet in the dorms with her erratic schedule?

"It wouldn't be for long periods of time and you'd only be asked when not busy with missions," Rufus added after her quick look between the two. She looked again from Rufus to Tseng unsure of how to answer, but having received nothing from her superior to suggest it wouldn't be allowed, she nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'll do it. I think Dark Nation and I'll have a lot of fun right boy?" she answered patting the dog on the head as she did so. The dog barked in response and she smiled. "You can count on me."

* * *

After her mission protecting Shinra Jr, Aven found herself the personal maid for Dark Nation. Anytime he had to go somewhere, she was called in to take care of the dog. She didn't mind it at first as he was fun to be around and his apparent dislike of Reno kept the red head from bothering her, but after a few straight weeks of it being her only mission...she really got tired of it. The only brake time she had during this missionless time was March 24th. She had awoken that morning by Reno blaring a horn in her ear and found that Rude and Haruto were in her apartment after chasing the red head out of her room. She was confused at first but pleasantly surprised when they all wished her a happy birthday and presented her with gifts and a chocolate cake baked by Reno. They waited until after she opened her gifts, including one left by an absent Cissnei, before heading out for their own missions. She was then informed that she had the day off and spent it doing random things. Her greatest surprise would appear when she returned to her room later that night to find two gifts waiting for her, one from Tseng and the other from Veld.

Despite the strange occurrences and severe lack of missions during the end of March, Aven returned to a normal (normal for a Turk) work schedule. It wasn't until the beginning of May, after many successful missions, that Aven found herself at the entrance to the sector 6 slums with the sword wielder. "So, for this mission we're supposed to gather information from a guy named Don Corneo right, Haru?" she asked glancing over the mission specs. "What kind of guy is he?"

"He is a very powerful man with many connections in both aspects of society," Haruto answered calmly. At the confused look on her face he expounded. "He knows people both from the side that every citizens can see and he knows those who are hidden in the shadows."

"Wow, what kind of work does he do?" she asked intrigued. "It'd have to be something pretty important to have all those connections."

"I'll tell you later," Haruto promised lightly. "For right now it's not very important so don't worry about it."

As they made their way into the area, Aven's nose was assaulted by all sorts of smells. Perfume, cigarette smoke, food, sweaty BO, all mixing together and making her want to gag. She pulled her tie free, covering her nose with it, eyes watering from the stinging pain in her nostrils.

"Ugh… it smells awful!"

"It's not the most glamorous district," Haruto agreed. "You'll get used to it after a while."

Aven seriously doubted that. The air was so stale and stifling and down below the plate there wasn't much free flowing air to fumigate the place.

Almost all the buildings had bright glowing lights and the area was rather noisy. Females who were half dressed stood on the side of the ride, seeking to catch the attention of passing males. Thugs and business men alike were meandering around the area, hitting the restaurants and bars, or going into an in with a female companion. It was like nothing Aven had ever seen before and she didn't quite understand any of it.

"You seem to be rather unacquainted with this particular life style," Haruto noted as he watched her take it all in.

"Uh...yeah," Aven murmured glancing all around them. "We didn't have places like this back home. Honestly...I don't really get what they're all trying to do."

"Make a living, the only way they know how," Haruto answered easily. "The same thing everyone attempts to do...though in a very different way." Aven nodded in understanding as she continued to watch the locals roam around. "So before we go to meet Don Corneo, I believe it will be a good experience for you if we split up here and try to gather as much information as possible from the locals. We'll meet up later at his mansion at the very end of the sector. Please, don't go inside until I can go with you. I'm sure you won't want to meet him without someone else there."

While Aven had reservations touring the Wall Street alone, she didn't want to let it show. So she nodded her head in agreement and the two went their separate ways.

The two parted ways and Aven tried to look confident and yet inconspicuous as she made her way through the Sector 6 area. Keeping to the Main Street, she poked her head into some of the more casual establishments such as the restaurant and INN. Thankfully she didn't run into too much trouble. In most instances once people saw her uniform, they knew what faction she belong to. They were supposed to be gathering info on anything strange happening in the area. However, most of the information Aven received didn't sound terribly out of the ordinary. One of the shopkeepers informed her that a group of people tried seeing the Don, but they were men, so of course the guy turned them away… whatever THAT was supposed to mean.

Once she felt she'd collected as much as she was going to get, Aven continued her way up the street, remembering the Don's place was supposed to be in the back end of the area. On her way she paused to slip off her blazer. Even though it was early summer, the evening air was uncomfortably warm. She tied the jacket around her waist and pocketed her tie before undoing the first couple buttons of her dress shirt. She almost cringed as she pictured the censorious look Tseng would probably give her if he ever saw.

"Well, as Reno says...what Tseng won't know won't hurt him," she thought as she headed towards the Don's place. She had taken over an hour to explore the sector and was sure that she was late for her rendezvous with Haruto, but when she arrived he was nowhere to be seen.

"Geeze, what's taking him so long?" she muttered to herself looking all around for the swordsman. Then her eyes landed on the large building in front of her. "It's just going in and speaking with the head honcho, should be easy enough. I don't know why he seemed so insistent on me waiting for him. Hmm...I'll get it taken care of long before he gets back. Maybe that'll impress him a bit."

Her mind made up, Aven strode toward the door with her head held high. "I'm here to see the Don" she explained to the man at the front.

The big guy looked her up and down. "Are you the last one?"

"Uhh... yeah I suppose so," Aven said. She wasn't sure what he was talking about but she didn't want to seem stupid.

"Alright, come with me then," he said before ushering her inside. "First thing is first though, we gotta get you changed. No way you're gonna stand a chance in that getup."

"What's wrong with my uniform?" Aven asked in confusion. It's not like she was going to a fancy dinner with the guy.

"You're not getting in to see the Don without proper attire," the man declared folding his arms across his chest.

Aven sighed seeing as how he wasn't going to budge. "Alright, I'll do it your way," she conceded feeling that was the custom down in the slums. "What do I have to change into?"

The man pointed to a small room off to the side and Aven went in seeing an entire wardrobe of women's clothing...though nothing fitting what she'd normally attempt to wear. "Just pick anything in there and then I'll show you to the Don," she heard the man explain from outside the door.

She sighed again. "Well...if I must I must. Let's see...what won't kill me to put on?"

Just about everything looked far too revealing for her tastes and while they had different sizes she was hard pressed to find something that fit right on her skinny frame. Finally she settled on a ruby red spaghetti strap. She looked into the full length mirror and blushed just looking at herself. The top was rather low cut, dipping into the valley of her developing cleavage. The length didn't even come close to reaching her knees. She sighed, ignoring the discomfort of over exposure and neatly folded her clothes up and stashed them in a corner for later retrieval.

When she exited the room, the guy was right there waiting for her. He gave her a look over, then a second. "Hmph…. Not bad."

Her face began turning red under his gaze and she quickly cleared her throat to get his attention elsewhere. "So, um shall we go see the Don now?" she asked nicely.

The man frowned for a moment but shrugged and led her up the stairs to a large set of double doors. "Right through here," he muttered clearly not pleased with her keeping him from staring.

* * *

CM: Yay, more Rufus and Tseng. Even though he's a brat sometimes, especially in the early games, Rufus is a fun character to write for. Next time, we're gonna bring in someone new. Who will it be? You'll just have to wait and see. ;)


	19. Bad Touch

**Chapter 19: Bad Touch**

"How did things turn out this way?" Aven thought as she looked around herself.

She was in a large room with two other women wearing next to nothing in her opinion while waiting to meet Don Corneo for the first time. The only other people in the room were two men who were guarding the door, one she recognized as the one responsible for her current position.

She really couldn't blame the man for her new outfit, rules were rules after all, but needing to put it on just to see this man seemed pointless. She was also really confused as to the reason the other two were even there, it was supposed to be a private meeting.

As her wandering eyes returned to the back wall, it seemed to open up before her and a man who was wearing nothing more than his bathrobe stepped out and welcomed the three of them there. He then started walking to the three females who were now all in a line, Aven in the middle, and started pacing in front of them.

Aven stood in the three female lineup, constantly readjusting the ruby slip she'd been given to wear. Every time she pulled it down, the neck was too low, but if she tried pulling it up the hem covering her legs was too high. A large man with blonde hair and a pencil mustache looked them over while the two other men stood off on either side in silence.

'This guy must be Don Corneo,' Aven thought remembering the colorful descriptions from Reno and Haru both.

"Yowza, what a delightful selection today. Now let's see…" The Don roamed from one female to the next, giving each a full look-over. "Who should I choose for tonight?"

When he got to Aven she tried to look as professional as she could with what she was wearing. In her mind this process to get a visit with him seemed rather nonsensical to how uncomfortable her current wardrobe was, she looked him right in the eye and almost felt a chill run down her spine. His eyes, she thought, made him look like he was hungry, staring at his prey rather than a few girls. It made her feel really uneasy being stared at.

For several moments the Don stared at her, his face carrying a hint of interest. Then his eyes traveled down and then up again before moving back to the older girl at the other end. "I've decided I shall choose this lovely blossom."

The woman beamed looking rather pleased with herself. Aven on the other hand was a little disappointed. It looked like she would have to wait for her turn.

The Don looked to the other two men. "You two can take the others."

Both men nodded and the one who brought Aven made a beeline for the female beside her. The other male approached her casually with a bored expression on his face. He had inky black hair with cornrows on one side and a crazy fringe that hid half his face on the other. He wore torn black denim jeans, and a black leather jacket.

The man stopped in front of her and a flicker of surprise crossed his face as he got a good look at hers.

She stared at him, nonplussed. "Um…"

His features sank into a contemplative frown and it was a few more moments before he broke the silence. "Well, come on then," he said gesturing with his hand to follow before heading out of the room.

The young girl sighed but decided to go ahead and follow him. He led her to a room which was a great contrast to the rest of the mansion. The colors were very mute, almost dull, and it was far from being what you'd call lavish. Well, except for the large bed with a dark red comforter and black sheets.

"Make yourself at home," the man told her as he ushered her in and shut the door.

With nothing else to do, Aven went over and sat on the bed. It felt really comfortable and she was almost tempted to lay back on it.

"So, how long do you think the Don will be?" she asked as she glanced around at the posters on the wall, not paying any mind to what he was doing.

"Who knows," he replied with disinterest. There was the sound of unzipping and rustling. "It depends on what mood he's in." More rustling. "Speaking of which… is there anything in particular you're into?"

"Uh…" Aven dithered as she examined an interesting poster of a dragon and a tiger circling each other. Something she was into? Like hobbies? "No… nothing in particular, no."

She heard solid footsteps approach and felt the bed shift as it accommodated the weight of a second person. Aven turned to look at him and… WHOA! She fell backwards in shock when she saw the guy was bare from neck to waist. A tattoo of a black dragon leered at her from his left pectoral. She also couldn't help but notice he was built a lot like Reno but with broader shoulders and a slightly thicker build.

The man moved over her, placing his hands on the covers on either side of her head. "Well, then," he said in a low voice, taking hold of her face with one hand, gripping her jaw line between his fingers. "I guess we can just get right to it then."

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. She was frozen in surprise watching as his face drew closer to hers and feeling his hot breath fall onto her face. Then all at once, her hand lashed out hitting him hard on his nose and he immediately backed off getting to his feet and holding onto his injury.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded angrily.

"S-sorry," Aven stuttered sitting back up. "You were just...too close. I didn't hurt you did I?"

He sniffed and shook his head clearing the water out of his eyes. "Just startled me," he answered before focusing his gaze on her once more. "You do understand that I have to get that close to do it."

"Uh...right, but I'm not here for...that," she replied nervously getting up onto her feet. "I just came to see the Don."

"Well, you're gonna be waiting a while then," he told her bluntly. He looked her over again. "You're not… a virgin, are you?"

Aven turned red at the question. "I… hardly think that matters."

"Aw shit… you are," the guy muttered shaking his head. He turned and headed over to where he'd left his jacket. "Dammit, I need a smoke."

She watched him curiously as he sat down in a chair and pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it up. "If you're a virgin, why the hell did you come here in the first place?"

"To see the Don, why does everyone find that so unbelievable?" Aven answered in irritation.

"Do you even understand why you were brought into that lineup?"

"I assumed it was to see which one of us got so see him first."

The man looked at her like she was crazy. "In an outfit like that."

"Well...granted that seemed a bit much, but I don't know how things work in a city," Aven retorted. "But after what you just...tried to do I guess that means that the Don...would have done that to me if he picked me as well."

"That's the kind of place this is sweetheart," he muttered blowing a stream of smoke and watching it drift towards the ceiling.

"Maybe it's a good thing I wasn't picked," she thought suppressing a shiver.

The guy took a very long drag on the cigarette and when he exhaled Aven caught a whiff of bitter vanilla. It was actually rather pleasant compared to most of the smells she'd encountered today. "I've met some naïve girls but you really take the cake," he muttered.

"Look," Aven said biting back a retort. "I really need to see the Don, it's important. Is there any way I can meet him without… that?"

The guy's eyes shifted to meet hers. "What's so important?"

"I can't tell you, it's classified," she replied evenly.

He snorted in what sounded like amusement. "If you're that desperate, then I suppose you can wait around until he's finished."

Aven smiled at that. "Great, thanks a lot Mister…"

"Tryg," he told her, exhaling another stream of smoke. "And none of that mister bullshit."

"Alright, Tryg," she said with a nod. She glanced away from him. "Um… I don't suppose you could… maybe put a shirt on?"

"No," he replied flatly. "You've ruined my night so I'm going to make sure I still have some comfort."

"Ruined..." she started to murmur before realizing what he was referring to. She wanted to say something about it happening this way because of a mix up but nothing she could think of sounded believable enough in her head so she quit.

Resigning herself to having being stuck in that room until the Don was finished, she sat back on the bed being sure to keep an eye on the smoking man while trying to ignore his bare chest.

As she sat there, eyes scanning the room once more and feet bouncing back and forth against the side of the bed Tryg sighed to himself. "Tch, she's not just a virgin...she's a freakin' kid," he thought biting the cigarette a little hard. "I'm going to kill that bastard for putting me in this situation." His thoughts were on the other man that had been with them all in the Don's room and taken off with the third woman.

"You know, you're probably lucky that you ended up with me," he said to the white haired girl. "If you'd been picked by either the Don or Kotch you wouldn't be sitting there still a virgin."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, neither of them care if you'd had sex yet or not, nor do they care if you're a kid," he explained blowing out yet another cloud of smoke. "Secondly, Kotch would have found it better and made sure to destroy you whether or not you wanted him to."

Aven paused to think his words through and she couldn't help but sigh at her fortune. "Yeah, it is a good thing I ended up with him," she thought, her mind turning to the other man. "I probably would have killed him."

The girl let out a long sigh. "I don't suppose you know a good way to kill time, do you?" she asked glancing over at him.

His face twisted into a sardonic smile. "I do… but you just nailed me one in the face for trying it."

Aven flushed a little bit and shook her head. "Um, something a little more… I dunno…" she ran her fingers through her snowy curls, racking her brain.

Boy but she was an odd one, Tryg thought to himself. Her skin was tanned, but her hair… he'd never seen such a clean white sheen before. Her eyes were even more crazy; a hazel mix of brown, green, and blue, all of which held an unnatural glow. Little abnormalities which of course would attract attention. And well… hell, he didn't go for her type and even he had to admit she was cute.

"Do you have a piano here?" she asked suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"A what?" Tryg asked having not fully heard what she'd said.

"A piano," Aven repeated. "I was thinking I could play a little to pass the time."

"You play?"

"Well...yeah, sort of," Aven answered with a shrug. "So...do you?"

Tryg thought for a moment before answering. "Yeah we have one. But it's downstairs."

"Well...can we go?" she asked innocently. Her face turned a little red as she continued. "I'd...rather not stay in here...for too long."

The male arched an eyebrow. "Think you're safer out there than alone in here with me?"

She hurriedly shook her head. "No… I didn't mean it like that…"

"Relax, I was kidding." Tryg put his cigarette out in the ashtray before standing up. He grabbed his jacket before tossing it at her. "You can put this on if you want."

Aven caught the jacket and stared it at in surprise before looking up at him with a grateful smile. "Ah, thank you!"

"Don't mention it," he muttered.

She slipped the jacket over her bare shoulders and pulled it closely around herself. "So um..."

"It's this way," Tryg cut in before she could finish her question. At his answer she blushed slightly again before walking out the door he was holding. Once outside the room, he led her down to a small room near the entrance. Inside, sat a grand piano that appeared to be dusty with lack of use.

"It's beautiful," Aven murmured moving inside and slowly running her hands over the surface before lifting the lid and placing her fingers on the keys. "It's been awhile since the last time I played. I might be a little rusty." She sat down on the bench and found the right position for her hands before beginning to play.

Tryg took a seat in one of the lounge chairs. For the first several minutes he only half listened as she got reacquainted with the piano keys. After a while, once she had the rhythm down, she began to play a song.

At first Tryg really wasn't all that interested, but as she played, he felt himself getting sucked in by the melody. For the life of him, he could never remember hearing the song before, meaning it was undoubtedly foreign, but it was… inspiring.

His eyes shifted to where she sat, and he watched her fingers move across the keys. If there were any mess-ups, she covered them well. She looked entirely focused and consumed by what she was doing, yet at the same time she looked so relaxed. A kind of bliss Tryg had never known for himself. Yet as he listened, he almost felt at peace with himself. Like the song was telling him, yes there were life's shit holes but… even still, there were always good things to look forward to.

The music ended and he was jolted back to reality. Tryg fiercely shook his head as if shaking off a daze. What a load of…

"Ah, sorry. For a moment I forgot you were here," Aven exclaimed jumping to her feet. "Was it okay? I probably screwed it up a few times...but I couldn't tell you where."

"It was fine," Tryg told her putting a hand to his head. Her reactions were really starting to bug him. "Where'd you learn to play?"

"Oh, I don't know how to play," Aven told him honestly. At his confused look she apologized and then grinned sheepishly. "See...I learned to play that one song, but that's it. I don't know what the names of the notes are or how to read music or anything like that. I just know the one song...mostly by ear." Tryg looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. She really was an odd one.

He was about to say something more to her, when a shout sounded through the hall outside followed by the telltale signs of a fight. Immediately Tryg got to his feet and rushed to the door. "Stay there," he ordered to Aven as he threw the door open.

When he stepped out into the hall, it was obvious some sort of heist was going down. The intruders were going through and trashing the place as well as breaking into any room they damn well felt like.

A few of the infiltrators noticed him and pointed their firearms at Tryg.

"You there! Hands in the air!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The men were dead before they hit the floor, each with one extra hole in his head. "Don't point a gun if you're not gonna fire it, dipshits," Tryg muttered, holding his trusted pair of twin guns in his hands.

"Wow! That was amazing," a voice from behind him said in excitement. "And so fast…I didn't even see you draw!"

He cursed and glanced over his shoulder to see Aven gawking at him in complete awe, rather than the normal reaction which would be… oh hell, terror or something?

"The hell is wrong with you?" he nearly shouted. "I told you to stay put."

"Yeah right, like I'm going to stay in there like some damsel in distress," Aven replied frowning slightly. "There's no way I was missing this." As she spoke, he pointed his gun in her direction and fired. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't flinch. After a few seconds she turned and watched the man who had been behind her fall to the floor. "That...was...SO COOL!" she exclaimed turning back to him. "You've got to be the best shot I've ever seen!"

"Look, where you are now you're in the way," Tryg declared firing off a few more rounds as he downed several more intruders. "Just stand over there and try to stay out of sight."

Aven ignored most of his request, but she did get closer to one of the walls. She really didn't want to be in his way, but she wasn't going to be hiding from the fight either. As the last visible man went down, Tryg lowered his guns before taking a quick look around to make sure he hadn't missed anyone.

Then out of nowhere a man came flying toward the gunman's back. Aven spotted him just before his attack and yanked off the jacket before flinging it around the man's throat as she leapt on his back and pulled it tight. The man fought back as hard as he could, but Aven tightened her hold and moments later he collapsed to the ground passed out. She didn't let go of him until she was sure he was out cold and then she pulled the jacket out from under him and tried straightening it out.

"Sorry about your coat...but I really didn't have anything else I could have used at the time," Aven told him nervously holding out his jacket. "You're not mad right?"

Tryg was a little too stunned at the moment to be even thinking about that. So the kid at least had some knowledge about fighting. The sounds of a door opening caught the gunman's attention and looked across the foyer to see the girl Kotch snagged up headed towards the exit in a big damn hurry.

He fired a warning shot at her, and wouldn't you know it, she was kind enough to send a full round back at him. Only her aim wasn't nearly as clean as his.

Tryg didn't even bother telling Aven to hit the floor, his body instinctively covering her and pushing her down onto the floor with him. He felt a bullet graze his shoulder, but nothing beyond that. He pushed himself up a little and looked at the girl beneath him.

Instead of asking her if she was okay, because obviously she was, he instead muttered, "You are one annoying little fuck."

Foul language, along with a helluva lot of other things, seemed to be foreign to her. Because damn her, all she could do was blink curiously before smiling sheepishly and mumbling an apology.

Suddenly they heard a shout of pain and fear followed by slow footsteps heading towards them. Tryg looked up warily and was shocked to see a man in a well pressed suit pause before them. "Aven, I know I told you to meet me here but honestly you should have waited before entering," he said shaking his head. "And it seems you made a new friend."

Tryg sat up instantly and backed away from her. "Hey, Haru," she greeted sitting up as well before slowly getting to her feet. "You were taking forever so I thought I'd just pop in and see him myself." She paused and looked over at the gunman off to the side. "Oh, this is Tryg by the way. He was keeping me company while we waited for the Don to finish."

"Was he now?" Haruto asked, his hand sliding to the sword at his waist. "Aven, did he ask you to do something or try something that you were uncomfortable with?" He was smiling at her but there was something slightly off about it.

Aven looked from his expression to the grip on his sword and she quickly held back the redness that tried to pop up as well as her memories of the past half hour or so. "Nope, not a thing. He was a complete gentleman," she answered with a smile of her own. "In fact, you came in after he protected me from some lady firing off her gun. Oh, that's right!" She suddenly remembered seeing the injury to his arm and quickly ran up to him. "Well, it doesn't look too bad. Are you okay, Tryg?"

"Fine," he mumbled, brushing her off. Yeah, just fucking perfect. Not only was shit flying all over the place but now there was a Turk here too. And how the hell did this kid know the guy? Tryg picked up his jacket off the floor and slipped it on while keeping his sights on Haruto. "Since you're here, I can only guess you have some sort of business with the Don."

"Indeed," the swordsman replied, his aura much less ominous than it had been a few seconds ago. "We've been doing some investigation and are concerned that some hostiles are attempting to worm their way into Shinra's back door. From the looks of things, I'd say we were right."

Tryg exhaled, his nerves pleading for him to stick another cigarette in his mouth. Instead he headed for the Don's room. "Let me see if the bastard's still alive."

"Great, we'll go too," Aven stated in excitement. While she really didn't want to see the large man again, she was hoping to see the gunman in action again.

"Yes," Haruto agreed. "We shall accompany you."

Tryg looked over the pair but decided he'd better not argue. No matter how he looked at it, not taking orders from a Turk would result either in death or being labeled as a threat to the company followed by years of running until they catch you and then you die. Either way death would still be coming.

"Do what you want," he finally said before leading the way up to the Don's room.

There were some rather loud noises coming from the room and Aven turned red once again as she tried not to think about what he'd have to be doing to be making that noise.

Tryg and Haruto obvious had other ideas about what was happening as they burst through the door and brandished their weapons. They were forced to stop though as they spotted a woman wearing next to nothing as she held a gun pointed at the Don.

"Hmph, looks like company arrived sooner than I expected," she muttered in irritation. "Doesn't matter though, if you make any wrong moves I'll pull the trigger."

Tryg wanted to rub his head to soothe the headache he was getting. So far this was all mounting up to be one shitty night.

"Hey, stop right there you," the female snapped, not moving her gun for an instant, but her eyes had shifted to the side of Haruto.

Aven had managed to slip into the room. Really, the girl was getting on Tryg's last nerve. But hell, maybe she could at least serve as some sort of distraction. When the female barked the order for Aven to stop, she did so, freezing in place.

"Come here," the female ordered.

Aven looked up at Haruto who nodded for her to go, smiling calmly as if they were at a garden picnic. Aven took a quick sweep around the room with her eyes before walking forward.

"That's it," the woman said. "Nice and slowly now."

And then on the way over, Aven's foot caught on the carpet. She fell, tumbled, and crashed into the collection of vases in the corner. There was a loud click and suddenly the floor beneath the woman's feet fell away.

The woman shouted in surprise as she fell through the hole and Aven slowly pushed herself back into a standing position making the trapdoor go back to its original position. "Oops," Aven muttered rubbing the back of her head. "I was actually aiming just for knocking her off guard. I didn't know he had a trapdoor in here."

Haruto chuckled lightly and lessened the grip on his sword. "That's quite alright, we'll simply send the cleanup crew to pick her up in the sewers below."

"Okay," Aven smiled sheepishly. "So then, is there any need to talk to the Don now that we sort of trapped that lady or are we done?"

"You go wait outside, Aven," Haruto told her. "I just need to have a quick word with Mr. Corneo here and we can head back to HQ. In the meantime could you call in to have someone pick up the survivors for later questioning?" Aven nodded enthusiastically and Haruto's eyes met Tryg's. "Mr. Bodyguard, would you be so kind as to allow my partner back into her regular attire?"

Tryg looked at her and he could scarcely believe it. "You're a Turk?"

"Yep, that's right," Aven said with a smile. "Sorry for not saying something sooner but… I wasn't sure if it was allowed, what with company secrecy and all that."

Tryg rubbed his eyes. He needed a smoke and a drink. Holy shit, this KID was a freaking Turk!

"I...really don't want to wear this anymore," she sighed looking down at what she was wearing with a light blush. "Shall we?" With that she turned and headed out the door. Tryg stood where he was for several moments trying to grasp what he'd just learned before deciding to just brush it all off and finish taking care of matters.

Once outside the room, he showed her to the place where she'd changed before. She went in with a small thanks and 10 minutes later returned wearing a nicely pressed suit, tie and all, and returning her PHS to her pocket. "Suit or not, she still looks like a kid."

"Well, you won't have to worry about all the people lying around the foyer for much longer," Aven informed him. "The cleanup crew will be here shortly. They're usually really quick about it so they'll be out of your hair in no time."

"Terrific."

Tryg only then remembered he hadn't seen Kotch in a while and wondered if the bastard had been done in. He went to check and found the guy had just been drugged. Tryg was neither relieved nor put out by this revelation. At this point he just wanted some sleep.

As promised, Shinra people came in and began cleaning up the mess as well as loading bodies dead or otherwise. When the swordsman was at last through talking with the Don, he came out of the chamber looking pleasant as ever.

"Our business is finished here," he stated. "Aven, whenever you're ready."

"Okay," she said before smiling up at Tryg. "It was really nice meeting you."

Tryg tsked and turned away from her. "I still can't believe you're a Turk."

Aven frowned but took it in stride and place her hands on her hips in mock challenge. "What? Think you could do better?"

"Much," Tryg replied seriously.

"Then prove it," Aven challenged with a wide grin. "Why not join up and we'll see just what you're made of."

"Aven, you really shouldn't be handing out invitations to just anyone," Haruto lightly scolded.

"I'm not," Aven said confidently. "You should have seen him in that hallway. Trust me, he'd make it through the examination as well as beginning training with a breeze." She turned to the gunman and looked him right in the eye. "So, how about it?"

"No," he answered easily. "This is where I'm at and it won't change just because I'm asked."

Aven's face fell slightly in disappointment before she pulled out a card from her pocket and held it out to him. "Well, if you change your mind just give us a call," she told him cheerfully.

"Alright, come along now," Haruto said, adopting the tone of a father shepherding his child out of a toy store. He gently placed a hand behind Aven and began ushering her out the door.

"Okay, okay," Aven said giving one last wave back. "See you later!"

Tryg watched the two of them leave before glancing down at the card. The Turks, huh? Yeah… right…. He should've just thrown the card away right then. Instead, he slipped it into his jacket pocket and went about his business.

* * *

CM: Hahaha, Tryg's awesome and is probably going to be my favorite BC Turk next to Haru.

Shipponaut: The Turks are awesome huh. Aven is learning the ways of the world as she grows as a Turk. Stay tuned for more action packed Turk goodness. :D


	20. Monster Mash

**Chapter 20: Monster Mash**

It was warm outside, too warm in Aven's opinion. Sure she grew up dealing with direct sunlight in the summer but somehow summer in Midgar just seemed that much hotter. She quickly discovered, while working out on the track, that even without being able to see the sun its rays were still able to warm the ground to a near unbearable degree. The polluted smog was able to trap the heat over the city as well, making it even worse.

After training for hours in the sweltering outdoors, Aven finally decided to go back up to her room for a nice hot shower. She didn't feel the need to hurry through her shower as it was one of those rare and beautiful days off. But with nowhere to go and by that point nothing to do, she'd spent most of the day training and was now washing off the sweat of the day.

As she sat there soaking, her thoughts wandered over to the five wooden dolls sitting on one of the bookshelves. She'd just finished the most recent one that morning and was quite proud of it. Now, she had Reno , Rude, Cissnei, Haruto, and her newly finished Tseng. She'd realized after her attempts on Reno that having a photo of the person severely helped in making them look perfect. Now all she needed was a really good one of Veld and she'd have a full set.

Aven grabbed the bottle of citrus smelling shampoo and squirted half a handful out on her head lathering up her hair. Soon her white curls were covered in thick foamy white suds. She inhaled deeply loving the way it smelled. As she worked her fingers deep into the roots, massaging her own scalp, the alarm suddenly went off, startling her.

"ATTENTION SHINRA EMPLOYEES." The voice was a calm female drone that sounded robotic. "THERE HAS BEEN A MINOR BREACH IN SECURITY. WORKERS PLEASE REMAIN ON YOUR DESIGNATED WORK FLOOR. WE WILL BE SHUTTING DOWN ELEVATOR FUNCTIONS UNTIL THE SITUATION HAS BEEN HANDLED ALL SOLDIER MEMBERS AND OTHER SECRET TASK FORCES ARE TO STAND BY FOR FURTHER ORDERS."

Secret task forces? Was that supposed to be the Turks? In the other room, Aven could hear her phone going off.

She swore under her breath and quickly rinsed the suds out of her hair before turning off the water and hurrying to her room and snatching up her phone before it turned off. "This is Aven," she said the moment she had it open and pressed against her ear.

"Aven, the building has become infested with a large group of monsters," the voice on the other end greeted. It was Tseng and he sounded irritated. "I know it's your day off but your assistance is required to rid the building of the intruders."

"Of course, sir," she replied confidently as she began pulling her clothes back on as fast as she could. "What about the executives?"

"Most of them are in the conference room with the commander and myself so there is no reason to be concerned," he replied with a sigh. "However, as Rufus is not among them I will require you to locate him first."

"Right away, sir," she answered quickly. "Where is he supposed to be?"

"I would try the gun range first," Tseng told her. "Though the elevators will be out of operation so use the stairs."

"Got it."

"I'm counting on you. Keep him safe."

Aven's chest swelled with pride. Tseng was counting on her. If the situation weren't so serious she might have stopped to do a little dance of joy. "I will, sir."

After he hung up she pocketed the phone and headed out the door. Not far down the hall, there was a crawler creeping its way through the corridor, searching for prey. Aven got both her gun and her whip out. She knew she couldn't waste too much time on monsters, but no sense letting this one freely roam her floor either.

She rushed forward and made quick work of the creature before heading for the staircase. Right away she knew reaching the president's son without anything happening to him would be difficult as the stairs were lined with monsters.

She sighed seeing the massive group before stealing herself and rushing down the stairs firing at each one she came across. By the time she reached the floor with the shooting range, she was completely out of ammo and she had blood speckling her uniform and head.

As she pushed the doors open to the shooting range, she was stunned to see a large monster barreling towards a lone standing Rufus, who lifted the barrel of his gun towards the creature and fired, dropping it to the ground dead. After that amazing display, she looked around the room and found it covered in already defeated monsters.

"Wow..." she breathed stepping inside and heading towards him. "Again, why do you need us?"

"Every king needs his pawns," his replied simply, shouldering the gun. He looked to her, his expression completely unconcerned, almost bored. "What took you?"

"I was in the shower when all this started happening," Aven said in her defense. She looked down at herself and inwardly groaned. She'd need another one by the time this was all over. She noticed the corners of Rufus's mouth draw up in a faint smile and she raised her eyebrow at him, hands going to her hips. "What?"

"It's not very often I come across a female who smells of both blood and oranges."

"You're not helping," she grumbled moving over to where they store the weapons and clips.

"What are you doing?" he asked noticing her destination.

"I'm out of ammo," she answered opening the supply cupboard and grabbing a few clips before loading one into her weapon. "I needed to restock."

"What a waste of effort and resources," Rufus stated with a small smirk in place.

"How is it a waste if I'm..." she started to ask, but she turned and saw the expression he wore. "Oh, so you're making fun of my crappy shooting again? Well it's not my fault I can't shoot yet. I only just started learning a few months ago. Besides, would you rather me be down a weapon while fighting these guys?"

"It might be safer that way," he answered pleasantly.

"Stuff it." She inwardly winced at the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Bad situation or not, she knew she shouldn't be mouthing off to the president's son, even if he was needling her for such a response.

If he was agitated by her belligerence it didn't show. Instead his face was drawn together in a contemplative expression. "You're far more assertive than last we met." He paused. "I'm not sure if I like it or not."

"Can't that wait until later?" she asked him, glancing around to make sure there were no hostiles lurking around nearby. "We need to get a move on, especially if the whole building is swarming with these things."

"I doubt it'll make much of a difference if we move quickly or stay put," Rufus pointed out.

She sighed and shook her head. "Look, let's...just go," she mumbled trying not to blow up at him. She was mostly irritated by the situation itself and really didn't want to make it any worse by blowing up at someone as important as the president's son.

He shrugged in response as he watched her head for the exit, following a short distance behind her. Before she could reach the exit though, there was a huge shuddering thud that shook the ground they were standing on. Next thing they saw was half the exit wall being broken through by a very large green creature with tentacles and multiple eyes.

"A...A Marlboro!" she mumbled under her breath in despair. She'd never faced one before; heck she'd never seen on in real life before, but she did know how powerful it was and what sort of status affects it could inflict an enemy with. Sigh...this just wasn't her day.

* * *

In the labs, several monsters lay dead. Bodies of hideous and majestic alike were strewn over the floors, along with broken equipment and toppled chairs and tables. Haruto stood in the center of the massacre, his sword drawn and dripping with blood from dozens of different monsters. He had been the only Turk on call other than Aven who hadn't been out on patrol, and his main priority had been making sure the chief of the science department was safe.

It might not have been so intolerable if said chief wasn't having such a poor attitude about it.

"Such barbaric actions," the scientist muttered. "All my precious specimens gone, not to mention thousands worth in equipment ruined. I didn't realize your sort excelled in destruction of property."

"We excel in doing our jobs, Mr. Hojo," Haruto said civilly with a smile. He pulled off his glasses and proceeded to clean away the speckles of blood. "Mine was to protect you at all costs. I had no orders to take into consideration the well being of your pets." Considering many of them had attempted to eat Hojo alive, one would think the scientist would be a bit more grateful. Hojo, however, gave little thought to anything outside of his 'precious experiments'.

"Well you obviously did less than take into consideration that I will now have to obtain a whole new batch of specimens," Hojo retorted in irritation.

"My apologies, but your protection was a higher priority," Haruto replied calmly. As always the scientist was a pain to work with. Once he was sure that all the monsters on that floor were disposed of, he took up a position in front of the door to the stairwell and pulled out his PHS to inform Tseng of his success.

"Tseng. What is your report, Haruto?" the man on the other side answered calmly.

"Hojo remains in one piece and the floor is secured," he answered easily. "I am prepared to place this floor on lockdown to prevent any further intrusion."

"Excellent." Tseng sounded all but satisfied at the announcement.

"How are things on the other ends of the branch?" Haruto inquired mildly.

"Reno and Rude have secured the entrance," Tseng informed him, "and Cissnei is taking care of other more confidential matters." He paused. "I've yet to be informed of Aven's progress."

The swordsman quirked an eyebrow. "What was her assigned task?"

"I sent her to locate and guard Rufus."

Haruto pondered that for a few moments. It wasn't like Aven to just leave everyone wondering. She was normally very thorough and professional about her work. The only reason she would fail to call in was if something was preventing her from doing so.

"Is something wrong?" Tseng asked when there was no word from the older Turk.

"I was considering going to check up on her," he answered after a moment of thought. "I am concerned that she has not reported in as of yet."

"As am I, but she is a Turk and should be able to handle this situation herself," Tseng replied calmly. There was a short pause before he continued. "However, as it is the life of the President's son on the line, I believe it would be best if you did indeed went to her aid. Just be sure to fully secure the lab before you leave."

"Understood, sir," Haruto replied just as calmly. With that he hung up and turned to a passing scientist telling him to keep the door locked until they heard the monsters were all disposed of. The man agreed and sealed the door behind the Turk as he left the room.

* * *

Aven didn't think fighting a giant hunk of mucus with teeth would be so difficult. Even though Marlboro's were susceptible to ice, her ice spells seemed to barely be phasing it. She couldn't quite figure out how a monster of such a high level had gotten loose in Shinra, but there wasn't much time to speculate at the moment. Rufus was doing what he could to back her up by firing the occasional bullet at the thing, but nothing seemed to be slowing it. It didn't help they were in a rather enclosed area and the beast was blocking the only exit.

The thing seemed determined to go after Rufus first, and every time it went for him, Aven did everything she could to draw its attention back to her, lashing it in the face or on its tentacles with her whip until it would no longer ignore her.

After a while of this. Aven felt herself starting to tire, she looked to Rufus. "Alright, I'm going to distract the thing, and when I do, slip past it and go for the exit."

Rufus raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to stay with me and protect me?" For all his heirs, he was beginning to look fairly worn out too from all the running around avoiding the thing.

"I'll be right behind you," she assured him. For the moment she just needed him out of the way so she didn't have to be concerned about him getting hurt.

"As a Turk it is your duty to dispose of this creature whether I am here or not," Rufus stated firmly refusing to budge. She wasn't sure if he was attempting to boost her confidence by saying she could do it or telling her she'd better do it because her job depended on it.

She sighed in frustration as she dodged around another attack from the monster's tentacles. "Fine! Then just cover for me, I'm going in for a closer hit!" she shouted back.

He seemed alright with this decision as he pulled back and raised his weapon preparing to fire. She took a deep breath as she dodged around one more tentacle attack before rushing in as fast as she could while Rufus chipped away at its health. She quickly managed to get right underneath it and spotted a crack in its very tough hide before shouting "Blizzaga" and directing the blast at the small weakened part.

The creature roared, its massive body writhing and nearly crushing Aven in the process. The girl was quick however, and dodged away and it crashed into one of the walls. It recovered itself, looking more vicious and angry then ever.

Then the oddest thing happened. It somehow got a lot faster. Way too fast for something of that size. Aven had to push herself to her highest speeds to avoid it. Even Rufus looked as if he was having difficulty avoiding the thing whenever it decided to switch targets.

The monster charged and she was forced to dodge it again. It slammed into one of the supply closets, breaking it open. It was then Aven realized what was going on. As she watched the boxes of bullets fall to the ground and scatter, she realized it wasn't the Marlboro that had gotten faster. They'd gotten slower. Someone had cast a time spell.

Instinctively she began searching for any sign that someone else was present. As she did so, she didn't see the large mouth opening releasing its foul breath, hitting her full in the face with it. The moment she felt the warm air hit her, she covered her mouth and nose with one hand, but she knew it was already too late. She'd inhaled the foul stuff.

She stumbled and hacked trying to rid her system of the creature's breath, but to no avail. Quickly she looked back at the creature to make sure she was ready for whatever came next and ended up almost tripping over herself in surprise. Where the monster stood, she now saw Rufus standing there with an impatient expression on his face.

Aven glanced around, and saw the Marlboro sitting where Rufus had stood not two seconds ago. How had they switched places? Suddenly she didn't feel so well. In face, she felt sick, weakened. She also felt something else unsettling. Her vision was steadily going red, and an unnatural desire to charge forward and kill her enemy began to wash over like a rising tide.

She gripped her whip, the room was spinning and neither Rufus nor the Marlboro were staying in one place. "Stop moving, dammit!" she shouted, hurtling towards the monster. The young girl landed a hit, and then another, and another. Her own safety was no longer important. The only thing that matter was seeing the creature dead.

She felt one of the tentacles connect with her stomach and send her flying into the wall. The air left her lungs in a rush and she fell to the floor, dazed but still struggling to get up so she could kill the beast… or was is Rufus?

She blinked multiple times to try and clear her head, but if anything it only made it worse. The room was still tilting around her and she was sure she felt her limbs going numb. Then she heard Rufus shouting at her...or was it the screech of the monster.

She found it impossible to wrap her mind around who was who and which she was supposed to be fighting. Her new burning desire to destroy her enemy was starting to make her stomach churn. As she tried to get to her feet and just guess, there was no strength in her legs and she simply slipped back to the ground.

Then as her mind neared the point of implosion from the flickering images, she saw the point of a sword stab through the Rufus next to the door. He looked down at the blade in surprise before releasing a pained shriek as it moved through his entire body.

Aven released a strangled cry, despair flooding in at her failure to protect him. She'd let him down. She'd let Tseng down. When she blinked again, she saw the Malboro slumped over, dead, its body sliced almost completely in half. Footsteps were thundering towards her, multiple faces started appearing in her vision and she shut her eyes. Voices were speaking, though she couldn't tell if they were speaking to her or just in general. None of what was said made any sense, it was all just garbled noise. She felt a pair of arms lift her off the ground. Her head lolled around uselessly, and she opened her eyes again, her vision going in and out of focus. As she was being carried away Aven thought she saw someone else. It was a woman. Not someone she was familiar with, but a face she swore she'd seen somewhere before.

* * *

"She's in the infirmary?" Reno exclaimed once he and Rude finished cleaning up the building and met back up with the others. It turned out none of the monsters managed to make it high enough to reach the main executives, though he did see the corpse of the Marlboro in the shooting range. He'd wondered how something that big even managed to make it up there.

"Yes, she was caught up in the Marlboro's bad breath," Haruto explained calmly. "It was clear when I arrived that her mind wasn't processing anything properly. I'm certain she was confused, berserked and poisoned. I gave her an antidote on the spot and moved her to the infirmary as soon as I could. Once there they gave her a remedy to clear the rest up. Now we're just waiting to see how she is when she wakes up."

Reno sighed and shook his head. She really had a knack for attracting trouble and he was sure trying to protect Rufus didn't help any. He exchanged a few more words with Haruto trying to learn what he could before heading towards the room she was staying in. He was surprised to find she wasn't alone when he walked in, instead the blonde haired son of the president was standing near her.

Reno strolled into the room, his gaze immediately shooting to the girl in the bed. She appeared to be resting well for a change. That was good. To think, all it took was getting hit with a Bad Breath attack. His gaze then went to the junior Shinra. "Well, now, I thought monsters storming the building was pretty nuts, but THIS is probably the biggest surprise I've seen all day."

Rufus looked at him in mild annoyance. "How so?"

"Because it's you." Reno leaned against the wall near the door, keeping his little apprentice in ready view. "You wouldn't even visit your dad if he was dying from getting his limbs chewed off by a Behemoth. No wait, scratch that; you'd be there just so you could enjoy watching him kick it."

The blonde released a delicate snort. "If it were you, I might."

Reno grinned a little before letting his eyes go back to the sleeping girl. "So why ARE you here then?"

"Simple. I would be very unhappy if Dark Nation no longer had an adequate caretaker during my leaves of absence." His tone was very business-like as he smoothed a stray hair back into place.

"Course that's the reason," Reno scoffed shaking his head. "It has nothing to do with the fact she got hurt saving your ass."

"On the contrary, Haruto and I saved hers," Rufus replied shortly. Reno watched him stare at the young Turk for a few more moments before turning and leaving the room. As he passed Reno he paused for a moment. "She is rather unique though...I'd even say she has the potential to surpass your skills as a Turk."

"Heh, who'd have thought, you're actually complementing someone," the redhead chuckled. "Careful, someone may think you're turning soft."

"Remember that I am still, by extension, your boss," Rufus reminded him curtly.

"Remember that I, really don't give a rat's ass," Reno mimicked in a falsely courteous tone.

"Always a displeasure, Reno."

"Right back atcha."

He watched the kid leave before pushing off from the wall and approaching the bed. There wasn't really a need for it, not really. It was obvious she was fine and that she'd pull through. Reno just wanted to be near her, so that when she woke up, there'd at least be one familiar face.

He sat next to her bed and waited. She didn't wake up for quite awhile, though he wasn't too bored. Rude came in at one point and they had a chat for a bit. The big man alerted the redhead to the fact that the monsters were probably let in thanks to that mole that was still at large, though Tseng was still looking into the how.

Reno figured as much and secretly only really wanted to know how the Marlboro got inside...especially without anyone noticing it until it was too late. Either way, an hour later he was alone again with the younger Turk when she finally opened her eyes.

"Hey, squirt," he greeted watching as she blinked her eyes several times glancing around the room. "Didja have fun playing with the wildlife?"

She didn't answer at first which concerned him until a moment later when she shouted in surprise. "Rufus...what happened to Rufus?"

"Woah, calm down," Reno said quickly stopping her from trying to get out of the bed. "The blonde bastard's just fine. You're the only one that's ended up hurt in some way."

He watched as Aven took a few breaths, her eyes darting around the room. He could practically see her mind trying to piece together how she'd managed to end up there. After a few moments she calmed a little. "So… I didn't see Rufus get cut in half?"

"Hah… wouldn't that be fun to see…" Reno caught her expression and he coughed. "No, squirt, that didn't happen. You were just confused, literally."

Aven buried her face in her hands. "I'm so stupid… I can't believe I let myself get hit by that!"

"Yeah, about that…" Reno relaxed back in his seat. "What happened? You should have been able to avoid that kind of attack easily."

She rubbed her head, eyes focused and face taught as she tried to remember the details. He didn't rush her. Getting hit with three status effects at once were enough to put anyone off balance for a good while. He was glad to see by her movement alone she seemed physically well at least.

After a moment she began to answer. "I found Rufus...the Marlboro crashed through the wall...we were chipping away at it and then..." Her head shot up and her eyes widened in realization. "Oh yeah, when the thing knocked over the cabinet of ammo, I realized everything was moving far too fast to be normal. We were slowed...or at least I was. So I turned to see if there was anyone else around who could have cast the spell...and that's when it released the attack. I was too slow to dodge it."

"So in other words you turned your back on your opponent," Reno summed up shaking his head. "Didn't you learn anything from Junon?" Aven scowled at him and he knew she wasn't enjoying him bringing that up. He gave a light roll of his eyes but decided not to beat the dead horse. "So who do you think slowed you?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure… I thought I saw someone else there…" She rubbed her head again, as if she might physically clear away the fuzz in her head and focus on recalling what she witnessed. "It was a female… kind of pretty… older looking."

Reno watched her carefully. She seemed very serious about this and he couldn't help but wonder if she'd witnessed something important. However, Haruto hadn't mentioned anyone else being there, and the kid had been delirious at the time. She could just as well have imagined it. "Are you sure you saw someone else there?" he asked slowly trying not to irritate her. "Glasses didn't see anyone and you weren't all there."

"Well...admittedly it was only after everything started spinning," she muttered under her breath. "But I'm positive I saw a woman...one I know I've met before."

"Can you tell me who it was?"

"No..I can't place how I know her," she admitted with a sigh. "But I know she was there!"

"Alright, take it easy." Reno reached over and placed a hand on her head, lightly stroking her hair in order to placate her. "We'll look into it. In the meantime just focus on getting better."

This did seem to placate her and she relaxed back against the bed. "Actually, I feel fine," she said frankly. "Can't I leave now?"

"Sorry, squirt, but Tseng would rather you stay here for the night…" He shrugged and smiled. "Just to be on the safe side."

Aven's snowy eyebrows drew together in a scowl. "But I feel fine."

He could tell she was trying very hard to keep up her tough front, and honestly he had to commend her for it. "Not a fan of hospitals either, huh?"

"Well, until I came here I've never been in one before," she explained running a hand through her hair. "That and laying here doing nothing is boring."

"Hah, I'll agree with that!" Reno laughed loudly ruffling her hair. "But unfortunately ya got to stay in here 'till the doctors and Tseng say you're good to go."

"I know," she sighed collapsing back onto her pillow. "How'd all this happen anyway? I mean one minute I'm in the shower and the next I'm running down the stairs fighting off a slew of monsters. Shouldn't they have been destroyed before they reached that point?"

Reno nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what we're working to figure out. Though the monsters crawling around in the building were the ones Hojo's been keeping for his creepy experiments."

Aven's eyes widened. "So… you're saying these monsters just broke out and went on a rampage?"

"Well I dunno about them just breaking out," Reno said with a shrug. "We're pretty sure someone let them out. We just don't know why yet. To be honest I'm a little more disturbed by what we had going on outside than inside."

"What do you mean?"

"There were monsters literally crawling out of the sewers trying to get into the building." Her mouth fell open and he nodded. "Yeah, this ain't your average shit storm."

"What could have possibly caused all of this?" Aven muttered to herself. She layed her hand on her head as it was beginning to hurt again.

"Well, don't worry about that right now, squirt," Reno told her getting to his feet. "Just get back to being 100% and we'll fill you in on what we learn when you're out."

"Promise?" she asked looking up at him in disappointment. She really didn't want to be in there by herself.

"Promise," Reno laughed ruffling her hair once more. "We kind of have to if we expect to have any help from you here."

Aven grinned at that. "Good to know."

He lingered there silently for a few moments before finally pulling his hand away and heading for the door. "See ya later, squirt. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

She crossed her arms and smirked at him. "Right, I'll be sure NOT to behave myself."

Reno chuckled at that. Her witty retorts were getting better every week. He gave one last backwards wave as he left the infirmary. It sucked leaving her in there all by herself, but he had a job to do, and that always came first.

* * *

Later...

Aven had a brief moment of terror when she jerked awake in the middle of the night. The dark room was unfamiliar to her, until she remembered she wasn't in her room, but the infirmary. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down. She didn't like being away from her room, sleeping in a place that was unfriendly and alien to her.

She heard a snore and once more jumped a little in surprise. She looked down and saw, to her fullest amazement, Reno. He was haphazardly situated, his top half resting on the seat of the visitor's chair while his legs were sprawled on the floor. While the position looked beyond uncomfortable, he seemed to be sleeping quite soundly.

Seeing him there, she was able to relax back into her pillows. It was odd knowing that he was there without her asking for it. She wasn't even having any nightmares but he was still there. She smiled lightly to herself realizing that he was just that kind of friend.

As she watched him snoozing in the chair, her body continued to relax more and more. After all, why should she worry about anything when she was among family? In no time her eyelids grew heavy once more and closed dragging her off to a sound sleep of her own. She'd have to remember to thank Reno later for sticking around.

* * *

CM: D'awww! Well that was fun. Still plenty of excitement and fluff to come. And next chapter we will be seeing another face you all should know very well. ;)


	21. First Date

**Chapter 21: First Date**

Once Reno had made sure his candidate was doing alright, he left her medical room and headed up to the offices. Here he ran into Rude on his way to the largest office on the floor, Veld's. They nodded at each other in greeting Reno giving him a look that said the younger Turk was okay. Rude nodded again in reply and the two made their way into the Commander's office.

As soon as they stepped through the door, they were greeted by the slightly impatient glances of the three other Turks and their commander. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Reno greeted as he took the nearest chair and spun it around so he was leaning over the back of it. "Had to see how the squirt was doing. So, what'd I miss?"

"We were just discussing the monster attack on Shinra," Veld told them. He got straight to business, pressing a button on his desk. The large monitor behind him clicked on. "This is footage from the different security cameras around Shinra during the start of the attack. It began at approximately 1500 hours when the executives were gathered for a meeting."

The Turks silently watched various clips of video showing monsters breaking out of the labs, prowling the halls, attempting to break into certain areas, attacking various employees, and taking out the cameras.

"There movement seems rather… systematic," Cissnei commented thoughtfully.

"Indeed, their behavior is not typical," Haruto agreed. "However, this may be because of the experiments performed on them prior."

"I do not believe that is the case," Tseng pointed out. Veld nodded his agreement and the image changed to that of the outside of the building. "These were taken simultaneously."

The group watched as monsters outside approached the building from different directions. While most headed for

the front door, the rest went around to the sides aiming for the cameras and the emergency staircase to the side.

"Huh, no wonder they were able to get all over the building so fast," Reno muttered out loud. "I mean, Hojo's toys I can understand but wild monsters? No way that's coincidental."

"Precisely," Veld agreed with a grave nod. "I think it is safe to assume this attack was indeed preordained. The exact goal of it is still unclear however, as well as the means."

"Wutains?" Rude questioned, unable to think of any other who could possibly be responsible.

"The Wutain people have been training monsters for centuries," Tseng acknowledged with a nod. "It is in their culture. However, I've never witnessed anything to this degree and it is highly improbable they were able to train every monster lurking in Midgar. Monsters are born wild and training them to do one's bidding takes much time and effort."

"No kidding," Reno grumbled. "But they have to be controlled by someone. There's no way they're smart enough to do that without any help."

"If we look at their movements it's easy to believe they were aiming for the Shinra line," Haruto pointed out. "Whoever was in control sent a monster powerful enough to deal severe damage to whoever happened to be on Rufus' protection detail as well as the young Shinra himself. At the same time, they had the remaining more powerful creatures make their way to the top heading for the meeting of department heads and the President himself. This person had to have known where each of them was and what their protection included to succeed in this seemingly futile attempt."

"They were also intelligent enough to make sure no evidence was left behind to show who was responsible," Tseng added. "Going through all the footage multiple times...I have still yet to come up with solid proof of anyone's guilt."

"How about around the shooting range after glasses showed up to help?" Reno suggested.

Everyone in the room looked at him. Obviously no one had expected to choose such a narrowed down time and location. "Any particular reason why?" Veld inquired.

"When I was in the infirmary talking to Aven, she said that she saw someone there," he explained.

"After I showed up," Haruto reiterated for clarification's sake.

Reno scratched the back of his head, a little reluctant to say the next part. "Well… she did say she saw it after getting hit with the bad breath attack. But still… it's worth looking into, isn't it?"

Veld inclined his head. "At this point, any lead is worth looking into." He pressed a button, switching to the camera footage of the shooting range..

They watched as Aven rushed down the stairs into the shooting range meeting up with a triumphant looking Rufus. Veld sped up the footage and they watched in fast forward as the two exchanged words and began fighting the Marlboro as it busted through the wall. Then the commander returned the footage to normal speed just as Aven was blasted by the bad breath attack and was knocked into the far wall followed quickly by Haruto coming in and slicing the monster in half.

At this point they focused in on the area near the exit that was far more open thanks to the monster breaking through it. As they watched, nothing came up out of the ordinary. No one passed by the area nor was there any other monsters spotted going by...nothing.

"I suppose it is to be expected," Haruto sighed in disappointment. "Neither I or Rufus spotted anything as we were leaving. It seems pretty clear she was far worse off at the time than either of us expected."

_'Try telling HER that,_' thought Reno in bemusement. She'd seemed so sure of herself too. But then, people under the influence of confusion were easily… well, confused. It's more than likely she'd been imagining it. He knew however she wouldn't see it that way.

"So what now then?" Cissnei asked.

It was a harrowing situation, to have such a large assault against the company occur, and then have little to no leads or indications as to who or what could have caused it.

"Now, Tseng and I will look into the seeming lapse in security that allowed the escape of Hojo's experiments," Veld answered after a moment of thought. "Cissnei, I will need you to trace the path the wild monsters took back to their origin. Perhaps something will have been left behind that we can use. Haruto, I need you to return to the side of the department heads. They should still be in the conference room. Keep them safe until we've finished a thorough investigation. Reno, Rude, I want you to take Aven with you, as soon as she is feeling better, and investigate all of the other places that were hit. Perhaps we can determine a more concrete pattern."

All of the Turks saluted their commander and gave a hearty, "Yes, sir!"

After the meeting let out Reno grinned at Rude. "Well, at least we ain't responsible for clean up, right?"

Rude gave a grunting nod. They already had enough headaches to deal with.

"So, wanna get a drink while we wait for the doc to give the okay?" Reno asked heading for the elevator.

"We have work to do," Rude pointed out.

"Not until the squirt's back on her feet," the redhead replied with a mischievous grin. Rude shook his head but the look he returned said he was okay with that.

Reno pumped his fist in triumph before leading the way to the cafeteria. He knew they'd get in trouble for heading to the bars when they were supposed to be working so the cafeteria was the next best place.

An hour later, the two had picked up Aven from the medical ward and began exploring the entire building. They didn't come up with any big clues along the way and ended up reporting back with nothing. Aven kept her mouth shut during the entire exchange as she didn't want to increase the idea that she'd lost it.

* * *

After the attack of monsters, things slowly settled back into peaceful silence. Weeks passed without any upsets or signs of a threat. Rather than being a comfort, this set all the Turks on even greater edge. Each one of them knew their problems were far from over and that this was but the calm before a storm. And yet, for the executives, there was always time for the more pointless stuff.

That's what led to Aven being in one of the elevators at midday after a very long morning of patrol. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep, but halfway through her shift she was called and told about a staff party/meeting that she was required to attend. Reaching over to the panel of buttons for each floor, she pushed the one nearest to the number she wanted and leaned against the wall hoping to get enough standing rest to not appear as exhausted when she arrived.

When the elevator stopped Aven stepped off and began wandering around. After five minutes, she wasn't sure where she was, but she was pretty sure it wasn't where she was supposed to be. She could only conclude she'd gotten off on the wrong floor. The hall looked fairly abandoned so there really wasn't any point sticking around. As she passed by a room with a 49 painted on the wall next to it, her attention was caught by a viewing screen outside.

Curious, she went to the viewing panel and saw there were three men. Although instead of a room, it looked like they were in Junon. A tall silver haired man was looking out at the sea from the nose of the infamous Shinra Mako canon. Meanwhile a ginger head and a dark haired man were kicking back, the former reading from a book.

"Huh," she thought looking at the screen. "They look rather nice." She glanced between the two standing in the background and concluded that they were very good looking. Then her eyes settled once more on the silver haired man and after a few moments she nearly leapt back in surprise. "That's...Oh my gosh that's Sephiroth! The hero of the Wutain War! The top of the top SOLDIER!"

Her heart skipped a few beats as her gaze stayed glued to the screen. She couldn't believe that she was seeing one of the biggest celebrities in Shinra. She got even more of a surprise when the ginger haired man pulled out a sword and approached Sephiroth starting an immediate battle. She watched in awe at the speed and power of the attacks. It was the most amazing display of power she'd ever seen in her life. The rumors about his strength were nothing in comparison to actually seeing the real thing in action. There were no words to describe the sheer thrill of seeing the traded blows, the attack that cut all the way through the cannon and the elegance of each movement.

The sound of a nearby door opening followed by footsteps jolted Aven out of her trance. Tseng had warned her not to wander around on this floor. As much as she wanted to see how the battle would play out she didn't want to end up in trouble with him again. So she quickly headed in the opposite direction, hoping it was the way back to the elevator. She rounded a corner and was happy to find she went the correct path. Going to the elevator doors she pressed the button and waited on bouncing feet.

When the doors opened she charged in inside and…

"WHOA!"

Aven ran head long into someone and almost fell backwards onto her butt. Thankfully a hand caught her arm and steadied her.

"Hey, slow down," a male voice said with a small laugh. "Where's the fire?"

"Huh?" Aven looked up to see a tall male with hair as black as night and eyes like the clear blue sky. One quick look told her that he was in SOLDIER. "There… isn't a fire." Was all she could manage to say, thinking she was going to get in big trouble now for being some place she wasn't supposed to be.

The man stared at her for a moment or so before laughing at her response. "I meant where are you going in such a hurry?" he rephrased, a smile spread across his gentle face.

"Uh...down," Aven answered after a moment. She'd caught onto her mistake and was fighting the urge to blush because of her embarrassment. "I'm going to a party and got off on the wrong floor. Sorry, I know I probably shouldn't be here."

"You do realize Turks can pretty much go wherever they want right?" he asked her, amusement lacing his words.

"Yeah but...never mind," she muttered standing up to her full height...which didn't even reach his chin. Her eyes met his fully for the first time and his face showed slight surprise. "I'm late as it is so if you'll excuse me."

She made to step around him but he blocked her path. "Hey, wait a sec, I can't let a pretty girl like you get away without at least knowing your name."

Aven felt heat rush to her cheeks. It wasn't so much him calling her 'pretty' but the way he said it. It wasn't lecherous or ill intended at all. She carefully examined his face, but could find no threatening aspects to it.

"I'm Aven."

"Hmm, I like it," he decided. "Aven… you don't hear a name like that every day." He held his hand out. "My name's Zack."

The white haired girl took the offered hand and was surprised by how gentle the grip was.

"So, I'm currently off duty right now," he said when he released her hand. "Mind if I escort you to wherever it is you're going?"

Aven shook her head. "That's not necessary. I can…"

"Take care of yourself, right?" he finished for her. "I kind of figured. Honestly, I was just looking for an excuse to spend a little time with you."

She blushed again having never had anyone treat her like that before. Her eyes scanned his smiling face waiting for an answer and she quickly looked away turning even redder. "Uh...I guess it's okay," she finally murmured finding it difficult to look back at him.

Zack grinned at her answer and stepped back in the elevator enough to let her enter. "So which floor are you going to?" he asked calmly. She carefully glanced over at the buttons and took a little more time than before to push the right one. "Really...35? How in the world did you get onto this one?" She wordlessly pointed at the panel and he saw that the floor she'd stopped on was just below it. "Ah, that would do it. No worries though, I won't tell a soul."

She looked up at him again at this and smiled back gratefully. "Uh, thanks. It'd be a little embarrassing to admit that I made such a simple mistake. They'd never let me live it down."

"Hey, no problem. Happens to the best of us." The doors opened and Zack let her step out first before coming up beside her, shortening his stride to match her pace. "So how long have you been at Shinra for?"

"Since the beginning of the year," Aven answered.

"That long? Amazing I haven't seen you around before."

"Well, Shinra is a big place."

"Yeah, but you really stand out."

Aven stared at her moving feet, wondering if that was really such a good thing.

"Hey, squirt! About time you showed up."

Aven looked up to see Reno and Rude approaching from the other end of the hall.

"We were just about to send a search party," the red head commented. "Don't tell me you got lost again."

"N-no," Aven lied. "I was just…"

Reno glanced over at Zack and he grinned. "Ah, I see, so I guess we have Slick here to blame."

"Uh...no, I just met him on my way down and he asked if he could come along," Aven shot back in irritation.

"Yeah sure," Reno chuckled wrapping an arm around her neck and driving his knuckles into her scalp. "There's no way that's all that happened with as late as you are."

Aven forced her head out of his grip and glared at him. "Patrol took a bit longer than usual, okay," she declared in irritation. As much as she wanted to rub the fact that she saw Sephiroth train in his face, doing so would be admitting her getting off on the wrong floor...and being where she shouldn't have been. "So, what are you doing out here anyway? Is the party over or what?"

"Well, it's still going, but all the boring announcements have already been made so there's no reason for us to stick around. I wouldn't even have endured that had Rude not been such a stickler."

"You complain too much," Rude told him in reply.

"Am I in trouble?" Aven asked.

Reno ruffled her hair. "Yeah, Tseng is pissed and he says he's going to run you through level 42 in the training simulator."

"Wh-wha?" Aven stuttered in terror.

Rude smack Reno on the head. "Knock it off."

"Ow! Hey, it's not my fault she's so damn easy," Reno commented rubbing his smarting cranium.

"You're fine," Rude stated calmly. "It wasn't mandatory...we'll tell you what was said."

"Thanks Rude," Aven sighed with relief. "You really are the best."

"Wow...I knew you could be harsh on your comrades Reno but that was a bit much don't you think?" Zack asked shaking his head. "She looks like she's had it rough tonight."

"She knows I'm just joking," Reno said waving off his comment. "Besides, as our youngest member, she needs the most breaking in. Being the pet and all…"

"I'm not a pet," Aven snapped. "And I'm 16 now, thank you very much."

"Hey, me too!" Zack exclaimed as if it was the greatest discovery in the world.

"Really?!" Aven asked startled as she looked up at him. He certainly looked much older than that. "You...don't look it."

"Haha...neither do you," he replied pleased by her response. "Say, how about I take you out sometime? Maybe grab some dinner, see a play or something."

"Like a...date?" Aven asked nervously. She wanted to know for sure what was all implied if she accepted or declined.

"Exactly, and if you like it enough we can go out on another date," he answered easily.

Aven blinked a little on the surprised side of things and looked to Reno and Rude who both seemed surprised as well...though she could only guess with the bald Turk.

"Seriously? She's just a kid man," Reno spoke up before Aven could give her answer. "And you ain't exactly the kind of guy that we should trust her with."

"And you are?" Zack shot back raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, you're definitely old enough to decide on your own and it's not like I'm a dinosaur in comparison like Reno is. So how about it?"

Aven released a small laugh at Zack's shot to Reno. "Well…" She'd never been on a date before, so she really didn't know what to expect. Then again, maybe it would be like with Justin. Just casual conversation and getting to know each other. She could handle that much, and Zack seemed like a really nice guy in spite of what Reno said. "Okay. Yeah, sounds great."

"Great!" Zack said with a small fist pump. "So… I'll pick you up at 7 tonight? You live in the dorms right?"

"Uh, yeah," Aven said with a nod.

"Alright, I'll see you then," Zack said. He flashed her one last smile before taking off.

"Christ on a pogo stick," Reno muttered shaking his head. "Guy knows how to get around."

"You're one to talk," Rude commented.

"Yeah, but I at least have enough sense to leave the clueless kids alone," Reno replied. He placed a firm hand on Aven's head as he continued. "Anyway, you be careful got it...don't go buyin' in to everything that guy says."

"Don't let him give you anything to drink," Rude added.

"What? Why not?" Aven asked confused. She didn't see what all the concern was about.

"Kid...one of these day's I'll teach you about the wonders of a rufie," Reno told her rubbing her hair before walking off.

"A what?" Reno didn't answer so she turned to Rude. "What's a rufie?"

Rude pushed his sunglasses up his nose. "Some other time."

Aven groaned. "Why do you guys always treat me like a little kid?"

"Cuz, you look it and you act it," Reno called back. "Oh, by the way, if the guy tries anything funny, just pop him one right in the face. He'll get the hint."

Aven immediately thought back on her encounter with the guy at Don Corneo's. Well, at least she had that much down. She sighed and shook her head. She was beginning to think that no matter how much time had passed and how much she accomplished as a Turk, she'd never lose the title of the kid. She watched Reno step onto the elevator just as a hand gripped her shoulder. She looked up to see Rude standing there with an encouraging air.

"You need to rest before he comes," he stated calmly.

She smiled and nodded allowing him to steer her into the elevator and ride it up to their floor before sinking into the couch in the TK room.

Hours later, after taking a nap and showering, Aven was going through her closet for something to wear. Not like she really had much to choose from. The most she had were shirts and denim pants. She settled on a light blue top and a pair of jeans that were just a tad on the long side for her. She really wasn't sure how most girls prepared for dates. She didn't have any make up or fancy hair clips girls put in their hair. Figuring she should at least make some attempt, she tied her hair up in twin ponytails. After looking at herself in the mirror, she was more or less satisfied.

Right on time, there was a knock on her door and she answered it promptly.

When she pulled the door open, she found Zack standing there with a big grin on his face, and a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Beyond that he looked pretty much the same as he had before. "Hey," she greeted smiling up at him. "So...where are we going for dinner?"

"You'll see," Zack told her his smile growing. "You look really cute by the way. I like the way you put your hair up." Aven blushed heavily at this and quickly stepped out of the room. "Oh, these are for you." He held the bouquet out to her and she sheepishly accepted it.

"Thanks..." she murmured nervously. "So...uh, shall we go?"

After leaving the flowers in her room and locking up, she followed Zack to the elevator. They exited the building and Zack led the way down the street where they entered the Sector 8 district.

"I think you'll like this place," Zack told her. "I've been here a few times and they've got some really good food."

The place he took her to was a cute little diner that was literally called "The Usual Place". Once they were seated in a booth, Aven ordered hot chocolate while Zack requested root beer.

"So, I gotta ask," Zack said getting the conversation ball rolling. "What made you want to be a Turk? From what I hear it's not exactly a job people are lining up for."

"Well...I have to admit it's not exactly glamorous," Aven said taking a sip from her cocoa. "But it's what I've been wanting to do since I was a kid. I'm just living out my dream."

"Your dream?" Zack repeated in surprise. "Well...I'd say that it's weird but I don't really have any room to talk. It's been my dream to join SOLDIER. So I guess we're both living them out."

"Hehe yeah we are," Aven laughed in agreement. She smiled widely at him before taking another sip and Zack couldn't help but think she was really cute when she laughed. "So...if you're a SOLDIER...then do you know Sephiroth?"

"I don't think there's a single person in Shinra who doesn't know about him," Zack said with a small laugh. "I can't really say I know him very well personally. He usually keeps pretty busy, and even when he's not he keeps to himself as far as I know. Now, I do happen to be friends with another first class SOLDIER, Angeal."

"Really?" Aven asked curiously. "What does he look like?"

"Big guy, dark hair, and really stern," Zack described. "He tends to give me a really hard time, but he's cool."

Aven wondered if he was one of the three she saw in the simulator earlier. "Does he have a really big sword?"

"Yep, and usually hangs around with Genesis and Sephiroth," he answered with a big grin. "The three of them are really good friends too."

"So I was right, that was Angreal...and the ginger must be Genesis," she thought in excitement. She grinned in triumph at the thought and almost squealed when she thought about having seen Sephiroth and his two good friends in a training session. She quickly got herself under control though and was sure Zack hadn't noticed as their food had arrived.

"Hmm...looks fantastic!" Zack said excitedly as he picked up his fork and began to dig in.

Aven took a bite of the hamburger she had ordered and she had to admit it was probably one of the best burgers she'd ever tried. "Wow, this IS good."

"Told you, didn't I?"

Zack finished his meal before Aven and went ahead to order desert for them. "You wanna share an ice cream sundae?"

She swallowed the hunk of burger she'd been chewing on. "Yes please."

"By the way, I don't think you told me where you're from," he said once the order was placed.

"Um…" Crap, what to say? "No where special. It's a pretty small place out in the middle of nowhere."

"Trying to keep it secret right?" he asked with a small laugh. "I get it. I come from a small town as well. Gongaga...ever been there?"

"Yeah," she answered surprised. He was a lot closer to where she used to live than she thought. "You don't seem like a country boy. Still have family out there?"

"Yeah, my mom and dad," Zack answered with a shrug. "What about you? Any family?"

Aven looked at her now empty plate and bit her lip. "No...I don't have a family," she answered after a moment. "Not outside the Turks anyway."

Zack got the brief expression of someone who accidentally knocked over a chair during a eulogy. He wasn't sure how to recover the conversation so he just dropped it. Thankfully the ice cream came shortly after.

Once the desert was finished off and the two left the diner, Aven seemed to be in a better mood.

"The night's still pretty young," Zack said, checking his watch. He looked down at Aven. "Anywhere else you'd like to go? Oh, I know! How about we hit the bar?"

"But we're underage," Aven reminded him.

"No problem, I look older than I am. Plus, I'm a SOLDIER who's going to tell me no?" he answered with a laugh.

"Uh...I don't know, I've never had any alcohol before," Aven told him seriously. "I sort of promised Rude that he could get me my first drink."

"You don't have to get anything with alcohol in it," Zack pointed out not wanting to lose just yet. "We'll have a bit of fun and then we'll go."

Aven thought it over a little more. "Well... if there's no alcohol involved... then I guess it's okay."

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you while you're in there," Zack assured her.

"Thanks but like I said, I can take care of myself." Even while Aven said this she remembered the embarrassing predicament she'd landed herself in on her mission with Reno and how he ended up having to save her. She already promised herself she would become stronger no matter what. She didn't want to have to rely on others to rescue her.

"Right, of course," Zack said before taking her by the hand. "Come on, let's go."

Aven felt her heart skip a beat at the suddenly hand contact. She wasn't sure why she was reacting so oddly. He was just holding her hand. That's all.

* * *

CM: Daw, how cute. Fluff to balance out the drama. What oh what could possibly go wrong? :D Hope you enjoyed and thanks to you reviewers for the support!


	22. Search and Rescue

**Chapter 22: Search and Rescue**

They traveled quickly down the streets Aven trailing slightly behind him as he pulled her along by the hand. She wasn't putting up any fight as she didn't know where they were going and would rather not get lost along the way.

In what seemed like no time they reached a large building that had music streaming out of it, people shouting for joy and two men standing at the front door.

"Hey, are my buddies in there?" Zack called out to the guards.

"You again, Zack?" The guard who spoke noticed Aven. "And I see you brought a friend with you this time."

"Sure did, and don't worry, she's not gonna be doing any drinking," Zack assured them.

"Well, you haven't caused us any trouble yet," the second said. "Go ahead and go in. Your friends should still be in there."

"Thanks guys," Zack said before guiding Aven into the bar.

Aven stuck close to Zack as they traveled through the crowd of people. It was a rather big place. One area had a line of pool tables, another area people were throwing darts, and there was even a poker table. The only reason she knew any of this was because she'd played them with Reno and Rude during their off hours. The bar area was a long stretch of a table where people were sitting on stools or leaning against the counter drinking liquids of different sizes and colors. She almost gagged when they passed a table where people were smoking. The bar was filled with the sounds of music playing and people laughing and chatting. It was pretty overwhelming.

"There they are!" Zack spoke loudly over the noise. He took her to a table where two guys sat. From the looks of empty glasses on their table they'd been there a while. "How ya been, guys?"

"Hey, Zack," the one on the left greeted. "We didn't expect you to show."

"Yeah, didn't you say you had a hot date?" the other asked.

"Yep, she's right here," Zack answered proudly. "Guys this is Aven. Aven these are some of my pals from SOLDIER."

"Nice to meet you," she greeted nervously.

The guy on the left whistled and the one on the right laughed. "She's a bit young ain't she?" he asked with the slightest of slurs.

"Naw, she's as old as I am," Zack replied quickly. "She's cute though right?'"

Aven blushed slightly but she was starting to feel a little awkward having him talk about her like a prize...just like Reno. Dangit, why did she have to start thinking about that jerk?!

"Nice to meet you," the guy on the right said extending a hand. "I'm Sebastian. And that drunken perv there is Kunsei."

"Lay off, it's not like I was hitting on her," Kunsei said in his defense.

"Anyway," Zack said looking back to Aven. "What would you like to drink? You can have anything on me… non-alcoholic of course."

"Um… I really don't know," she said nervously.

"Why don't you have her try a Sunrise?" Sebastian suggested.

"Hey, not a bad idea," Zack said in approval. "What do you think, Aven?

"Um…"

Meanwhile on the other side of the bar….

"Geez, I seem to be off my game tonight," Reno said to Rude as he chalked up his pool stick. "Must not have had enough drinks yet."

"You usually have too many," Rude pointed out.

"There's no such thing," Reno answered a smile spreading across his face. "There's only enough to make me a better pool player, and enough to make just about anyone look attractive."

Rude shook his head and moved to the side so as not to be in the way of Reno's shot. As he did so, he glanced around the bar and noticed a mane of shaggy black hair sticking out amongst the crowd. Curious, he stepped around a few more people missing what Reno was saying next. A minute or two later, he spotted exactly what he'd rather not see in a bar at night. A short mane of white hair standing nervously next to the SOLDIER.

"Rude, did ya hear me?" Reno called out to him as he finished his shot and headed over to his bald partner.

"So what is a Sunrise exactly?" Aven was asking.

"Well, it's orange juice mixed with this red stuff to make it look like a sunrise," Zack explained. "It's sweet, just like you."

Aven turned pink at this while Kunsei and Sebastian burst out laughing. "Dude, that was lame," Kunsei stated through his chortling.

"Sure, I'll try a Sunrise," Aven said ignoring her embarrassment.

"Awesome, just wait here and I'll go grab it," Zack told her. "Don't worry, these guys are loud but they won't bite."

"Not much," Kunsei chuckled. His words made Aven feel even more nervous.

She turned to look for Zack only to see he hadn't gotten far. He had been stopped by a man who was taller than him and all she could see was the head was bald.

"Hey...is there a problem?" she heard him ask the man.

"You ain't 18 man and neither is she," another voice answered. It sounded awfully familiar and made Aven's stomach drop. Moments later, Zack shifted on his feet and she caught a flash of bright red hair.

Oh no… there was no way…

Aven ran to where Zack was and sure enough it was Rude blocking Zack's path and Reno standing by enjoying the show.

"Come on, I wasn't going to give her anything alcoholic," Zack said defensively. "I'm smarter than that."

"Fair, about right now an amoeba wiggling across the kitchen floor of a dirty diner has more smarts than you do," Reno said with a laugh. "You seriously thought it would be a good idea to bring her here?"

"But I was just…"

"Outside. Now." Said Rude.

"Wait a minute," Aven said deciding to get in the middle of it. "Don't you think you guys are overreacting? I mean… it's just a bar, right?"

Rude looked down at her through his sunglasses and an air of authority and impatience exuded off of him. "NOW." he repeated.

"Aven, just get outside before Rude blows a gasket," Reno spoke up. "We'll explain out there."

"But..." Aven started to protest not understanding why they were being so stiff on the matter.

"Hey, she's on a date," Zack stated to Rude in irritation. "She's not a kid and she's damn well old enough to make her own decisions. Plus you're not her dad so I don't see why you're getting so upset about me showing her a good time."

Reno drew a hand over his face as if Zack had just made a mistake equivalent to cannon balling into a hot bubbling tar pit.

"Maybe I'll share your good time with Angeal." Rude said evenly.

It was amazing how quickly Zack's demeanor changed and he suddenly looked a lot less confident than he did a few seconds ago. Still, he managed to keep up a front. "I doubt he'd care." He didn't sound terribly convinced of that though.

"Then let's find out," Rude stated. Before Zack could move, Rude had firmly grabbed his arm and lifted him over his back in a fireman's carry.

"What the...?" Zack shouted stunned that someone could move him so easily. Rude ignored his shouts of indignation and marched out the door with the boy over his shoulders.

Aven wasn't sure whether or not to laugh at the sight. It was pretty amusing to see someone as strong and large looking as Zack get man handled by Rude. At the same time though, she was sure the act had damaged his ego.

"We'd better go to before Rude comes back and hauls you out like that," Reno chuckled next to her snapping her out of her stunned state.

"Right," she mumbled following the red head out the door. She really didn't want to cause more of a scene than what had already been done.

By the time they were out in the cool fresh… well, _fresher_ air, Rude had set Zack down and was now giving him what could only be the Rude version of a scolding.

"I don't understand," Aven said as she watched with Reno from a safe distance. "Why is Rude so upset?"

Reno sighed. "You know, it's both cute and sad you still don't get it." She looked at him questioningly and he shook his head. "Look, we both know you're a good Turk and a good fighter."

Aven flushed for some odd reason. Maybe because that was the first time she could ever remember Reno actually complimenting her.

"But, let's face it," he continued. "You're naïve, and you have a tendency to get in over your head. You don't understand how the world really works."

"Oh please, I understand plenty," Aven shot back. "I'm not completely clueless you know. Besides, what did you expect would happen? I'm a Turk with a SOLDIER...who's going to start a fight?"

"One, you ain't wearin' the uniform so it doesn't matter what you are, no one's going to know," Reno started. "And two...even with the uniform you look too cute and innocent to be a Turk. No one sober would think you were one so why would a room full of drunk morons?"

"That's why I also said I was with a SOLDIER. He looks the part and he certainly looks strong enough to wup your butt," Aven grumbled back, still not getting why they were so upset.

Reno once more shook his head but said nothing more to her. "Hey!" he called to Rude. "You want me to take this one home?"

Rude gave only a single nod and Aven could tell by his expression it wasn't open for discussion.

"Wait…" Zack said. "At least let me tell her goodnight."

"Make it quick," Rude told him.

Reno went over to talk to Rude while Zack approached Aven. "Sorry about this," he told her. "I'd hoped it could have ended a little bit better."

Aven shook her head. "It's okay. I had fun."

"I'm glad, I did too," Zack replied with his childish grin. "Maybe we can go out again sometime...without them cutting it short."

"I...I think that'd be fun," Aven told him with an embarrassed smile as her cheeks once again turned a bit pink.

"Good," the SOLDIER murmured as he slowly started to lean in towards her, gently grabbing onto her waist with both hands.

Aven was suddenly reminded of the night she'd had at Don Corneo's and her hand shot out in reaction to his face drawing even closer. There was a shout of pain as Zack stumbled backwards holding onto his nose.

"Ack...I'm so sorry!" Aven exclaimed as Reno started to laugh. "I just sort of reacted. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah… just startled," Zack said gripping the spot her fist had landed. "Good arm there, by the way."

"I'm really, really sorry," Aven repeated feeling terrible.

"Don't worrying about it." He lowered his hand. "We're cool."

"Any day now."

"Keep your shorts on, Reno," Aven snapped at him. She sighed and looked up at Zack. "Well… I guess I'll see you around."

"Right," he said and leaned down to give her a quick peck on the forehead. "See ya."

Aven turned away quickly, fearing she was red as a tomato and kept her head ducked as she left with Reno while Rude stayed behind.

"Shouldn't we wait for him?" Aven asked.

"Naw, he wanted us to go on ahead so he and Fair could have some quality time, clear up any misunderstandings and all that," Reno said as he dug his hands into his pocket.

Aven sighed and the two of them lapsed into silence until they got back to HQ. When they were on board the elevator, Reno spoke up. "You should probably apologize to Rude later."

She looked up at him in confusion. "Why? I didn't do anything wrong."

Reno's eyes closed. "You're such an idiot sometimes." Then out of nowhere he grabbed her hands and pinned her hard against the elevator wall with his body.

"Ow!" Aven shouted. The slamming impact as well as his grip on her smarting. "Reno… what are you… get off!"

"Go ahead," he told her, his blue eyes cold and unsympathetic. "Try to break free. But when it comes down to it, I'm still stronger than you, and knowing that you let your guard down." As she struggled, he leaned closer and whispered in a very dark and serious tone. "If I wanted to, I could take advantage of you right now."

Aven's breath hitched and for a split second a stab of fear shot through her nerves. Reno was usually so comical and childish. Here he was actually… scary.

For a few seconds both of them stayed completely still. Then he released her and withdrew as quickly as he had advanced. "That's the sort of thing Rude was worried about."

Aven rubbed her wrists dourly, staring at the floor. "Zack… isn't that sort of person."

The red head leaned against the wall of the elevator and shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But we don't know for sure either way."

"I'm sure," Aven muttered barely loud enough for Reno to hear.

"Look, it's not like we don't think you'd have a way to get out if it came down to it, and it's not as if we hate SOLDIERS," Reno sighed looking at her saddened face. "But the fact is that as innocent as you look guys'll think you're easy and go for it, Turk or not." Aven frowned at him and he continued. "Plus, a bar is where most of those types of guys gather around to pick up chicks and if Fair ever left you alone for any amount of time you'd be seen as free game."

Aven felt a swell of frustration rise up inside of her that nearly brought her to tears. Why did she have to be stuck in a body of a kid with a face no one could ever take seriously? The thought of even being thought of as easy or free game upset her to no end. She kept her head dipped, letting her hair hide the shame of her moistening eyes.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. The two stepped out and walked the rest of the hall in silence until they reached their neighboring doors.

"Night," Aven said hollowly, as he opened her door.

Before she was all the way through she felt Reno take hold of her head and guide it into his chest in an awkward hug.

"You're fine the way you are," he told her. "Just be more aware."

Then he was gone, disappearing into his own room.

Aven stood in the doorway of her room stunned by his actions. She never believed she'd see such a gentle side to him. The worry that he'd shown and the feeling coming from Rude made her feel terrible. She'd heard about what bars were and what they were like in Midgar but she'd put her trust in someone she'd only just met...perhaps too much trust. Doing so made the two Turks closest to her upset and worried. She hated to admit it, but Reno was right. If she'd just gone with her gut feeling and said 'no' things wouldn't have turned out like that. She really was a child.

Sighing in frustration and regret, Aven slowly closed her own door and tumbled into her bed pulling off her clothing as she lay there. She thought about what the red head had said about apologizing to Rude and agreed. She promised herself she'd do it first thing the very next morning.

* * *

After the terrible end to her first date, Aven made sure to apologize to Rude for her lapse in judgement and when she managed to see him again she apologized to Zack as well. She figured most of it was her fault and tried to make it up to him by setting up another date. Unfortunately, the both of them ended up being really busy the next few weeks. She was busy running all over the city in patrols trying to locate the Wutains before they struck again. Nothing ever turned up though, and it was becoming rather frustrating. All the Turks were dealing with the Wutains; whether in different cities fighting the war, or within Midgar trying to catch the group that probably was in charge of the monster attack on the company. After a few weeks of near nonstop missions Aven was exhausted and wishing for a vacation. So, when she got a call first thing in the morning, she wasn't thrilled about the idea of heading out yet again.

Aven was so glad when the chopper touched down. It was already close to noon in spite of the fact she and Rude had set off right after breakfast. She had been woken up early by a call from Tseng telling her she was being assigned to an emergency search and rescue mission in Nibelheim. Apparently a recently inducted Turk had been en route from Gold Saucer to RocketTown and went crash landing into the mountain range along Nibelheim.

The trip from Midgar had been a more or less silent one, as Rude wasn't really one for lengthy conversation. Aven ended up snoozing most of the way, which the older Turk was perfectly fine with.

"Ah, fresh air at last," Aven said hopping out of the flying metal contraption and stretching out her body.

"We need to move," Rude told her stiffly.

"Yeah I know," Aven replied frowning slightly at him. "I was just stretching a bit." She walked over to his side and grinned up at him. "It's a search and rescue right? So, why don't we have one person on the ground to see up close how they are and then call the other person for air support if needed?"

"You think it was an accident," Rude murmured searching her face closely.

"Well...there's always the possibility it wasn't," Aven admitted with a shrug. "But if it wasn't and we both just fly in we'll get shot down too right?"

Rude nodded. "Can't get the injured out easily without the chopper," he added thinking things through. He'd considered it as well but was wanting to see how she took thought of the situation.

"Great so you agree," she said waiting for a moment as she looked up at him. "I would like to volunteer for the ground position." She kept her request as professional sounding as she could but Rude could see the desire and excitement behind her eyes.

"Alright, call when you arrive," Rude told her with a nod.

"You got it, Rude," Aven agreed with a wide grin and an enthusiastic salute. Then she hurried off as quickly as she could towards the town.

The town was rather small and homely looking. Not quite as small as where she was from, but still nowhere close to being a city. The air smelled cleaner too. In the center of the town stood a water tower, on one side was the Inn and shops while the other side appeared to be where the locals lived. Out past the buildings she could see a huge mansion, and beyond that the mountain range. Immediately she began heading in that direction.

It didn't take long for her to get through the town, and she paused in front of the mansion wondering what to do. She wasn't familiar with this territory, and going in blind would not only be a waste of time but dangerous as well.

"Excuse me!"

Aven turned to see a girl with dark brown hair running towards her. She was possibly only a little younger than her.

"I'm sorry, but kids aren't allowed to play around here." The girl stopped and gave Aven a once over. "Are you new? I've never seen you around before."

"Just passing through," Aven answered ignoring the kid comment. "Actually I need to go into the mountains, any idea where I can find a guide?"

"Well, I've been training to be a guide into the mountains," she told her. "I'm not sure if my father will let me but I could lead you around no problem."

"Cool, then lead the way Miss..." she paused realizing she didn't know her name.

"I'm Tifa Lockheart," the dark haired girl introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Aven greeted with a wide grin. "I'm Aven. So let's get moving."

"We may get in trouble though," Tifa pointed out. "There are a lot of monsters out there and I'm not very good at fighting."

"I know how to fight," Aven told her. "And I'm sorry but I'm in kind of a hurry. This is an emergency situation and I can't afford to waste any more time."

"Emergency how?" Tifa asked clearly worried.

"That's classified." Feeling as though the conversation was going, as Reno put it, a helluva lot of nowhere, Aven turned and began walking the path which would take her to the mountains. Guide or no guide, she needed to move. If it came down to it, she might be able to contact Tseng and have him download her a map of the area.

"Wait!" Tifa called chasing after her. "I'm coming along, Aven. I'd feel terrible if I just let someone get lost out here."

Aven was grateful for her help and paused long enough for Tifa to take the lead. They traveled mostly silently through the mountain, Tifa asking the occasional question that Aven dodged. She'd rather not get her too involved if she didn't have to.

After a time, they started coming into an open area that showed smoke billowing close to the top.

"That's close to the reactor," Tifa exclaimed in surprise. "What happened?"

"An accident," Aven muttered heading for it as quickly as possible. The younger girl followed nervously behind her until she suddenly ducked behind a short ledge as the sound of gunshots echoed around them.

"Shoot," she muttered glancing around the edge to see a blond haired girl wearing the Turk uniform firing at a group of men looking to be of Wutain decent.

"Are those guys from Wutai?" Tifa asked in surprise.

"Yes, now believe me when I say you will go back to town as quickly as possible," Aven answered slowly pulling out a pistol of her own and fitting a materia into the side.

"I can't just leave you here," Tifa exclaimed.

Aven sighed and it was clear it would take some major convincing in order to make the girl understand not only did she know what she was doing but she was perfectly capable of doing it. Fishing into the pocket of her pants, she pulled out her wallet and showed her her I.D.

"No way…" Tifa murmured in amazement. "You're a Turk?"

"Yes, and fyi I'm older than you," Aven tagged on for good measure. "Now get back to town as fast as you can and tell no one what you saw here."

The young teen hesitated for a moment before nodding in reluctance. "Take care," she murmured.

Aven hoped the girl made it back safely. She pulled out her phone and began dialing Rude's number. "Hey, Rude? Yeah, I think I found her." Aven poked her head out, quickly analyzing the situation. "She's currently on the defensive against some Wutai troops. Chopper is unusable. I think she's the only one… no wait, there's someone else alive but he's hurt really badly. The enemy's current number is 5 with possibility of back up. I'll send you my current position."

She waited for a moment to hear a reply and moments later she heard the tell tale grunt of the bald Turk. He was on his way and she knew what she had to do...give the two survivors a better chance against the enemy.

Making sure her gun was fully loaded, she held onto it tightly as she dashed from cover to cover edging closer to her comrades. In no time, she was in a set of cover just to the side of where the Turk was firing trying to keep the injured man from falling into range of the enemy weapons. Taking a deep breath, Aven shot a blizzara toward the battling Wutain's making them dive for cover as she quickly joined the female Turk.

"Who are you?" she demanded looking the white haired girl over carefully.

"Backup," Aven explained quickly cocking her pistol. "You're the newest rookie right?" The girl glared at her at this but Aven ignored it. "I hear you're a good shot, perfect because I stink at shooting." With that said, she popped up top and released a single shot that only managed to graze the arm of one of the men who'd jumped up to see what had happened. There was a shout of pain as he collapsed to the ground and Aven sighed as she ducked back down. "Dangit...only grazed him. Either way that's one arm down."

Aven gave her a quick once over. The blonde's outfit was crinkled and dirtied. Her short blonde hair was in disarray and there was some dried blood in her hair, a tell-tale that she'd hit her head at some point. While her face was stony it was clear she was in discomfort.

The female shook her head. "Just a sprained ankle and some cracked ribs. Possible minor concussion, but I was able to self treat with some first aid." Her pale green eyes shifted over to the injured man lying still but breathing on the ground. "I attempted to treat him as well, but he is worse off than I. He'll probably die."

"Not if I can help it," Aven said firmly. "But first we need to take care of these guys."

"Is there anyone else coming?" she asked curiously. It was clear she didn't hold much stock in Aven's skill...or lack there of.

"Yeah, Rude's coming in a chopper to airvac you out," the younger Turk answered brushing her white bangs out of her face. "We just need to make sure he doesn't get shot at before he can help."

"I'm almost out of ammo," the blonde stated looking her weapon over. She was surprised when Aven pulled out a couple clips and handed them over. "Don't you need half of this too?"

"I just told you, I suck at shooting," Aven explained patting her side. "I'm more a close to midrange fighter. You need those more than I...you can make better use of them."

The female grimaced but silently took one of the clips and reloading before storing the rest in the pocket of her blazer. Aven knew she'd made the right choice in giving the other female her rounds. The girl was a fantastic shot, almost as good as Tseng.

Aven's only redemption with her shots was she managed to land some dumb-luck shots. One hit near a guy's foot, getting him stuck. Another hit the person's weapon, freezing it over and making it unusable. If nothing else, it made the other female's job a little easier.

After awhile Aven started to get worried about Rude. He still hadn't shown up and there were no sounds of a chopper coming toward them. She leaned heavily against their shield as the girl next to her made the occasional shot at the enemy and gave her partner a call.

"Hey, Rude, I don't mean to complain or anything but we do kind of need that lift," she stated nervously glancing at the injured pilot who seemed to be getting worse.

"Can't see you," Rude answered simply.

"Are you just now getting here?" Aven demanded.

"Yes, I needed to pick someone up," he answered easily.

"Then how can you not see us? We're the only place on the mountain with gunfire," Aven exclaimed in confusion.

"We're being fired upon as well," Rude answered after a short pause.

"He means to make some serious noise squirt!" another voice picked up and Aven inwardly groaned...why Reno?

Aven turned to look at the blonde who was still keeping her pale green eyes peeled for an opening. "I don't suppose you have anything that can draw some attention do you?"

The female gunman fired off a few rounds before answering. "In the wreckage of the chopper…. There might still be a flare gun." Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. "But it's over there, in the enemy's line of fire."

Aven bit her lip as she braced herself. "Alright, I'm going in to snag it. I'll need you to cover me."

The female looked at her as though she were crazy. "You'll be shot."

"I trust you," Aven said with a smile. "I'll be in and out real quick."

"Wait but..." the blond tried to protest as Aven gave her a wink. Seconds later she'd launched another blizzard attack at the Wutains before leaping over their baracade and dashing as fast as she could towards the chopper wreckage. She heard some shots being fired and knew that the girl was doing her best to give her cover, but a few projectiles went flying past Aven the wind whipping past her.

It took her almost no time to reach the chopper where she slid behind a rock wall just as a few bullets pelted the side. Slowly she searched through what she could and was somehow able to locate a small box with the flare gun and flares inside. She loaded the gun and waited for the rain of bullets on her new position to pause momentarily before firing the flare into the sky.

She watched the flare soar up high before popping open into a burst of fire and light. She certainly hoped that was enough flash to alert the other two to her position. She just hoped it didn't end up backfiring. She fired off a few more shots from her gun at the enemy, realizing immediately why the other female Turk had abandoned the wreckage. The vantage point wasn't desirable for a clear shot on her end. After a few more minutes passed, Aven waited for her chance before firing a second flare skywards.

"I hate gun fights," Aven thought out loud as she flattened herself against what little cover she had. The gunfire ceased for a few moments, and Aven listened carefully in case of an attempt to approach and shift position. Then her ears picked up on something that made her hopes lift the slights. The sound of a helicopter approaching.

Her PHS went off and she answered it. "Got your signal, squirt," a gleeful voice told her. "Just sit tight, we're coming to get ya."

"It's about time," Aven grumbled into the phone as her position ignited with gun fire once more. "I hope you brought some help because I'm almost out of ammo down here and I have no idea how much the rookie has left."

"Think we'd come without bringing a party with us?" Reno asked with a false sound of being hurt. Aven rolled her eyes but hung up anyway. She then glanced around her spot and caught the other Turk's eye before nodding and quickly dashing back out barely missing getting hit again as she dove back over the top of the other girl's cover.

"They saw the signal," she told her with a wide grin. "And they brought some friends." The girl looked at her in confusion as a helicopter peeked over the edge of the cliff and started firing at the Wutains. The shots were followed by several men jumping out of it and dashing towards the enemy with guns a blazing.

"Hey, squirt, over here!"

The shout startled Aven as another chopper appeared on the other side and Reno stuck his head out the window to get their attention while Rude stood in the doorway.

Aven looked to the blonde before motioning to the unconscious, injured victim. "Help me with him."

She nodded and grabbed the man under the armpits while Aven grabbed his legs. Together the two of them hoisted him off the ground and rushed him as quickly as they could towards the chopper. Rude helped them get him in and the two females jumped on afterwards.

"We good to go?' Reno asked over his shoulder.

Rude shut the door and flashed the red head a thumbs-up.

"Alright then here we go!" Reno shouted as he pulled the chopper back into the air and started flying back towards Midgar. "Ya alright back there?"

Aven caught only the end of his question as she put on the headset Rude handed to her and the other Turk. "What was that?"

"I asked if you two were alright," Reno repeated easily.

"Perfect," Aven answered her face splitting into a grin as she helped to make sure the injured pilot was held in place.

"I've been better," the other answered rubbing her ankle lightly.

"Good to hear. I was sure the squirt wouldn't be very good in a fire fight, glad to see you weren't completely useless," he replied with a laugh. He was obviously teasing to lighten the mood.

"So, we were never properly introduced," Aven said turning to the blond while she ignored the redhead. "I'm Aven, Aven of the Turks."

"I'm Estelle," the blonde replied lightly. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem."

"So, Miss Aven of the Turks," Reno chuckled. "You seriously haven't met her before now? She's been here since May."

"Seriously?" Aven asked in amazement. She turned to Estelle who nodded in confirmation.

"I joined shortly after graduating from Shinra's military academy," she explained succinctly.

"Oh, well, neat," Aven said, not really knowing what the girl was talking about.

While she was familiar with Shinra HQ she was still not as well versed as to everything inside the city of Midgar. The place was so big. Aven worked a little first aid on the injured pilot and settled him down to rest. Rude meanwhile worked on Estelle's minor injuries, no doubt helping to take away most of the aches the female was experiencing.

"Since May, huh," Aven murmured once she was settled in a seat next to Rude. "Can't believe I kept missing her."

"Differing schedules will do that," Rude stated simply.

"I can see that," Aven sighed. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you. I've been here since January."

"How did you get in without being in the Academy?" Estelle asked. She knew there were other ways of joining, but it always interested her to hear how others managed it.

"Easy, I won her at the Gold Saucer's New Year's bash," Reno answered before Aven could even open her mouth. "Most useful prize I ever got from there."

"Really?" Estelle asked as Aven put her face in her hands. She hated it when Reno told that story.

"Sort of, he beat me in a competition and instead of taking the money prize he switched it for me," she explained in irritation. "He won't let me forget it either."

"Any story worth telling is worth telling to anybody and everybody," Reno stated all smiles. "Like… oh, here's one you'll love, Stellie. The first month the squirt was here, I got her to dress up as…"

"SHUT UP, RENO," Aven commanded firmly, not giving him any room to continue.

"Aw, but it's such a fun story," Reno said laughingly.

"No, it's not, and if you finish that sentence I swear I will personally ask Rufus to let me watch Dark Nation."

"Oh come on, you know that mutt hates me," Reno complained though he was still laughing.

"That's the whole point," Aven muttered still glaring at the red head.

Estelle looked between the two in confusion not sure how to deal with their bickering. Rude must have caught her expression because he muttered, "This is normal for them. Don't worry about it."

Estelle nodded in response and sat back as the white haired girl and red head continued to argue all the way back to the Midgar ending only when they touched down.

* * *

CM: Now that was exciting. So let's see if you've all been keeping track. Just how many BC Turks have we introduce so far? :P Of course some have yet to join, but it's only a matter of time. :D Hope you enjoyed and we'll see you next time!


	23. Suspicion and Belief

**Chapter 23: Believe**

Aven rubbed her watering eyes. Even though she'd rinsed off in the locker room, the chlorine from the pool was still burning her eyes.

"Aw, don't cry squirt," Reno said rubbing the top of her wet head. "Just because I beat you ten times in a row…"

"I'm not crying," she snapped shoving his hand off her head. "My eyes are on fire because you kept dunking my head under water like an ass."

"Hey now, a little kid like you shouldn't be using language like that." Reno waggled his finger and tsked in mock disapproval. "You don't want to make big brother Rude sad, do you?"

Said Turk just shook his head in silence. It was another one of those times.

"Would you quit treating me like a kid already?" she grumbled in irritation tipping her head slightly to let the water in her ears run out. "Besides they're just words. Nothing's going to happen if I say ass or shit or f..."

Before she could say anything else, a large fist landed on the top of her head effectively silencing her. It made Reno on the other hand start laughing. "What was that about nothing happening?" he asked in amusement.

She ignored Reno 's jab and looked back at the stoic Turk in confusion. "What was that for?"

"You're not a delinquent," he answered simply.

"What?"

"He means don't use those words unless you have a reason to," Reno answered shaking his head. "Oh, and just so you know, they don't make you sound any less like a kid. If anything they make you sound more like one."

Aven scowled at him but before she could come up with a cutting retort she was interrupted by another.

"Why hello there, Reno . It's been a while." A beautiful woman stepped towards them wearing a dazzling smile.

"Oh, hey, Victoria ," Reno greeted casually.

The youngest Turk rubbed her eyes again. Had she met this person before? She felt like she had… somewhere.

"I miss seeing you," the woman purred. "You have no idea how busy I've been since… well, since Justin left the department. They were going to make him head of accounting, but since he's not here they gave it to me instead. It's so stressful."

"Accounting?" Aven thought remembering the times she'd gone there. "Oh right, she was the one that said hi when I was getting the grand tour. Before Justin..."

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said easily waving off her apology. "Congrats on the promotion though, sounds like you're doing well for yourself." She giggled at his statement and he moved in closer brushing a bit of hair over her ear. "But hey, if you're ever in the mood for a little...stress relieving I'm always up for it."

"Oh you," she giggled giving him a light shove. "You're so bad...doing this in front of your friends."

"What them?" he asked pointing over his shoulder at his companions. "Rude doesn't care and the squirt doesn't get what's going on."

Aven frowned at this...but he was right. She didn't understand why the woman was so giggly or why they were acting like they were talking about some forbidden topic. It was really irritating.

"Well, you know where I live," Victoria said giving his cheek a soft stroke with a finger. "Or maybe I'll just come visit you."

"I'll call you," Reno told her with a smile.

"You still have my number?"

"Never got rid of it."

"Good to know." She checked her watch and sighed softly. "Well, I need to go get my hours worth of palates in. It was good seeing you." She nodded to Rude and gave the briefest of glances to Aven, then walked away.

Aven watched her leave, and as she did so, she got a powerful flash of déjà vu.

She waited until the woman was out of sight before turning to the other two who had started down the hall again. "Guys, do you know who that was?" she exclaimed as quietly as she could.

"Sure," Reno answered with a shrug. "She's the accounting girl that bakes a fine cake."

"No!" she responded shaking her head.

"Yeah, she is. I introduced her to you when showing you around...remember?"

"Yes but that's not what I meant," she groaned in irritation. She pulled the two in close to her before continuing. "She's the one I saw...you know with the Marlboro."

Reno and Rude exchanged silent glances with each other. "That's a pretty heavy accusation to make, squirt. Especially considering there was nothing we could find on camera."

Aven shot him a wry look. "Camera's aren't completely fool proof though, are they?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. Technology never is."

"Well?" she emphasized, throwing open her hands. "Look, I know you both think I was just delirious, but I DID see someone there that day and I'm telling you I'm almost positive it was her."

"You have no proof." Rude didn't say it to be mean, of course, but he was pointing out a very important note.

"So I'll get the proof," she said in exasperation. "How hard can it be when I know who I'm looking for?"

"Just don't go doing anything too reckless," Reno sighed patting her head before turning and heading for the elevator.

"I won't," she said after him clenching her fists in frustration. "You'll help me with this right, Rude?"

He shook his head. "You should let it go," he told her seriously, then he too stepped onto the elevator.

"Maybe I should," Aven mumbled under her breath. As she stepped onto the elevator with them, in her head, she thought silently, "Doesn't mean I will."

* * *

Aven must have gotten off on the wrong floor again, because she was utterly lost. She wandered several non-descript corridors looking for someone to point her in the right direction, but no one was around. She tried opening doors but several were locked. Finally she came across one that swung right open.

There was a person there, but they were on their knees hunched over. Aven carefully approached, wondering what was wrong. As she got closer, the person tilted their head back, and Justin stared up at her with pleading eyes.

"Aven," he pleaded. "Please… I didn't do anything. You have to believe me."

Before he could plead anymore, he doubled over, hands going to his throat. "Justin!" Aven grabbed him and she saw what was wrong. Her whip was strangling him to death. She grabbed for it, trying to get it off him while screaming for it to let go of him.

She couldn't budge it, however, and before long his arms went limp. She stared down at his unmoving form and felt her breath hitch at the sight. She didn't think things could get any worse until he morphed into the Marlboro that knocked her back using one of its long tentacles. She struggled to get up but was unable to as her whip slowly wrapped around her arms and legs holding her in place.

In her panic, she looked up to check on the monster only to see Victoria standing next to it with a large marble cake in her hand. She was laughing hysterically with an evil smile on her painted lips.

"AVEN, WAKE UP!"

When Aven jerked awake, she could feel arms holding her tightly against another body. As she breathed heavily, she could smell Reno's body wash and went lax, pressing her face into his chest so that his muscle shirt could soak up the tears.

The red head quietly held her for a couple minutes, softly stroking her hair while she composed herself. They'd been through this enough times and even though it had been months since her last night terror, he easily remembered what helped to calm her down.

"You alright, squirt?" he asked after about five minutes had passed.

"Yeah," she whispered pulling away from him. "Sorry for waking you up again. I thought I was done with these."

"Heh, believe me none of us will ever be done with nightmares," Reno chuckled ruffling her hair a bit. "Even I have some occasionally."

"Really?" she asked looking up at him.

"Yeah, but I've found sometimes it helps to talk about them," he told her shortly. He'd never talked about his own, but he was sure it'd make her feel better.

"I guess," she murmured wiping her wet eyes and moving over on the bed. "I was seeing Justin again."

"Is it because Victoria brought him up?" Reno asked.

"Maybe...but he wasn't all I saw," she explained. "I watched him die again...but then he turned into that Marlboro and the cake lady was standing next to it laughing and holding a cake while I was stuck on the ground getting tied up more and more by my own whip.

Reno snorted and coughed. "Sorry, just… the cake part threw me a bit."

Aven shrugged, knowing that when she said it out loud, it did sound pretty ridiculous. "Well, whenever she's around you talk about cake."

His shoulders shook with repressed laughter and he patted her on the head. "You really are cute sometimes." He relaxed back onto her bed, resting on his side with his head resting on his arm. "This is really bugging you, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Aven admitted, rubbing her hands up and down over her arms. "I mean… what if he really wasn't guilty? He could've been framed, which means I killed an innocent person."

"Squirt, that's part of our job. We kill people, and not all of them are going to be villains."

"I know...but still," she sighed dipping her head. She hated feeling like this but she couldn't do anything about it.

"Well, don't feel too bad about it. I mean the guy might as well have been guilty letting himself be a carrier like that," Reno told her off-handedly.

"Yeah, but...wait a sec. Might as well have been...?" She turned to look at him with shock and a little hurt in her eyes. "So...he was set up...and you knew about it."

He stared at her unflinchingly. "Yeah, we all knew. We're still looking into who the real culprit is but… whoever framed him did a hell of a job."

"You all knew," Aven repeatedly stiffly. She turned away from him, tossing her hands up in the air. "Of course you did. Why bother telling me about it? I'm just the kid who can't be trusted with anything."

"Don't be like that. That just makes you sound…"

"How am I supposed to sound, Reno? I have every right to be angry. Ever since I got here every single one of you, YOU especially, treat me like I can't take care of myself or that I can't handle something because I'm 'young and naïve'." Her fist hit the mattress. "Well, fuck you! I want to be seen and treated as an equal. I want to be trusted. I want to be a part of this team. That's why I joined, and if I have to go through a breakdown with every step then that's fine because I know I'm strong enough to get through it. Why can't any of you believe that?"

Reno sighed as he sat up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Geez, calm down. You already got me up, no sense waking up the whole floor."

"Let go of me," Aven muttered pushing his arm off and turning around to glare at him. "You can just go to…"

She was cut off as he suddenly forced her back into the mattress with her hands above her head and him straddling her. "Problem is, Squirt, we do believe that," he told her seriously. "You just have a tendency to take your desire to prove yourself too far. Let us help, let us do our job as well. Don't get so caught up in trying to be grown up that you miss something important."

The younger Turk stared up at him before letting her head fall to the side to stare at the wall instead. She took several breaths to calm herself down. "You really think I'm supposed to be here?"

Reno tapped on her skull with his knuckles. "Hello? Did you forget who it was that brought you here? I never doubted it for a second. And guess what? I still don't."

Aven bit her lip to keep from smiling. It was times like these where she really did like Reno. She valued his opinion, along with the other Turks. "Alright, I'll try to remember that from now on. You can get off now."

"You kidding? After that little tantrum, you're not getting off that easily," he said before he began tickling her.

She screeched at the sudden tickle torture and attempted to fight him off, but to no avail. He didn't stop until he managed to get her to shout that she was sorry and promised to drop the Victoria thing...for the time being at least. He allowed that she could keep an eye on her, but nothing more. As long as nothing happens she promised to keep her nose clean and her options open. There was always the chance the culprit was someone else and if she focused too much on one person, she'd probably miss the real one.

"Alright then, now that that's settled, let's get some sleep," he sighed sliding off of her and dropping onto the mattress beside her. "And no more nightmares, alright?"

"Heh, I'll try," she promised while trying to calm her breathing. After the tickle fest she had barely any air leftover.

As she relaxed back under her sheets she looked over at Reno who appeared to have settled in. "You're not really planning on staying here the rest of the night, are you?"

He grinned at her. "You didn't seem to mind it the last few times we went through this."

"I minded, you were just too stubborn to move."

"And you think things will be different now?"

Aven rolled her eyes before turning over so that her back was facing him. "Fine, but I swear if you use me as a cuddle toy again I'll poke your eye out."

Reno chuckled and turned draping an arm over her. "Sure you can?" he asked in a teasing manner.

Instead of voicing her answer, she attempted to elbow him in the gut but he easily caught her arm and held it still. So she used her other arm to try and hit him in the face somewhere. Before she could though, he'd snaked his other arm around her and gripped that one as well. With both arms secure, he crossed them in front of her and pulled her close holding her arms in place.

"Just relax and go to sleep," he whispered easily holding her in place. "Night squirt."

Aven released a small growl of annoyance but that was the most protest she could give at that point. She was exhausted, so she did as he said; she relaxed and in a few minutes she'd drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Getting integrated into the system had gone a lot smoother than Tryg had anticipated. After being guaranteed that he would receive a thirty seven percent pay raise and that once he was a Turk he would not have to worry about Don Corneo or his thugs coming after him, Tryg signed his name on the dotted line that placed his life and everything else in the hands of Shinra. Then he spent the rest of the day becoming officially registered, which was admittedly a bit of a hassle for him. He had to keep reminding himself a medical check-up was better than death.

Now he was being shown to his living quarters by a Turk named Rude. Tryg already liked the guy because he was extremely sparing with words and didn't bother instigating any kind of pointless conversation. Also Rude, like Tseng, had that extremely professional air about him and a powerful presence that Tryg couldn't help but be impressed by.

"This is your room," Rude said stopping in front of a door and handing Tryg a key.

Tryg wordlessly accepted it and used it to enter the room. It was a small and simple living space, but he was more than okay with that. On his bed was the Turk uniform as well as a cell phone.

"I don't suppose there's a place around here where a guy could get a quick meal," Tryg commented. He hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Get dressed first," Rude told him. "Make sure it fits."

Tryg shrugged but shut the door to his room and got changed into the Turk uniform while Rude waited outside. Tryg didn't mind wearing the suit, but no way in hell was he wearing a tie. Even the dress shirt alone felt like it was too stuffy for him, so he un-did the first few buttons, but kept the over jacket button closed to maintain some look of professionalism. Once he was satisfied with both appearance and physical comfort, he pocketed his new PHS and exited the room.

They were silent as they walked towards the cafeteria, Tryg's eyes scanning the place and remembering the layout as he went. He may be a Turk now, but who knew what would happen if he did something wrong and they turned against him. He wasn't the most trusting guy, but after his life no one could really blame him.

The pair were nearing a set of double doors with the strong scent of good food filtering through it when a shout sounded down the hall making the gunman freeze in his tracks.

"Tryg!" The voice was high and completely recognizable. He slowly turned around only to almost be bowled over by a small figure with short bright white hair. "So you ended up joining after all, that's so awesome." She had pulled back after a moment of giving him the surprisingly tight hug before giving him a once over. "Huh, I was right. You look really cool in that suit."

The gunman stared blankly down at her. It'd been only a few months since Tryg had last seen her. Yet she was still as chipper and obnoxious as he remembered. Maybe even more so. She did seem to have begun filling out a little more though.

"Hey, squirt," a red headed male piped up from nearby. "We got someplace to be, remember? You can flirt with the newb later."

"I wasn't flirting, so you can stuff it," the white haired girl snapped before smiling up at Tryg once more. "Well, congrats on joining. Glad to see you again."

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, brushing her off of him. His personal space had been more than violated.

"Oh sorry," she muttered sheepishly as took a step back. "So, when did you join up?"

"Today," he answered easily. "Just finished all the boring details and was grabbing some food."

"Terrific!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Squirt, ya listenin'?" Reno demanded as he poked her in the back of the head. "We got stuff to do."

"I know," Aven retorted irritated as she rubbed her sore head. "I was just saying 'hi'. I haven't seen him since my mission with Haru to the Don's."

"So this is that guy?" he asked looking him over for a minute. "That's nice but you're already gonna be late as it is, pipsqueak." He grabbed the back of her collar as he spoke and started dragging her off.

"Reno! Let go dangit!" she shouted hitting his arms with her small hands. "Fine! Catch ya later, Tryg!"

Tryg watched the two of them disappear around a corner before looking at Rude who'd remained silent the entire time. "What the hell was that?"

"Get used to it," Rude told him simply.

Rude turned once they were gone and started back toward the double doors. He wasn't worried about how angry the girl seemed, he knew that she was only frustrated at being dragged away from a conversation before she was ready as well as being unable to stop him and that it'd pass soon enough.

Tryg gave one last look to the corner where the pair had disappeared before following Rude through the double doors. He wasn't sure if what he saw was actual anger or not but he definitely was curious to see what she'd do as soon as she was free. He hadn't noticed it the last time they met, but she actually seemed to have quite the temper.

* * *

It had been a long day for the second in command of the Turks and it was about to get even longer. As Commander Veld had been busy at the moment, Tseng was called into the President's office for a short chat. It was lunch time so the man had a plate of food in front of him as he spoke. "Tseng, I've been hearing a lot of rumors about your newer members these last few days," he expressed spreading an oddly colored sauce over the top of everything. "Three total if I'm not mistaken."

"That is correct, sir," Tseng acknowledged with a nod of his head. He wasn't sure where this conversation was headed but he was sure he could handle anything the president through at him.

"The two newest seem to be competent," he continued mixing the concoction together. In Tseng's opinion it no longer looked very appetizing. "One from the academy who's accuracy rivals yours and the most recent a body guard from Don Corneo."

"Yes sir."

"Then explain to me whether our standards happened to drop for a few months," the man paused with his food halfway to his mouth before putting the fork back down. "I know my son says she's a competent fighter but what possessed you to accept an untested child from God knows where? Was it the mako in her eyes or something else?"

Tseng gave a long exhale through his nose. Clearly either Veld had been keeping the president up to date with the new recruits. Someone, possibly Rufus, had even told him about the girl's unusual exceptionality. Not that the man ever paid any really attention to their faction. He was usually more interested in the SOLDIER program. From what it sounded, the information the president did have was only what he had chosen to hear.

"With all due respect, President Shinra, we did have her tested. She proved to be very adequate in all of her assessments and she looks a lot younger than she actually is," Tseng explained patiently. "Besides, she isn't the youngest we've ever brought in."

"How IS it that she got mako in her system, Tseng?" President Shinra asked, bypassing Tseng's justifications entirely.

"She carried materia when she was found," the Wutain enlightened. "She could have simply been using it without a slot. Reno had a similar problem when he first came in, but we deduced her use of it was far more prolonged."

"Ah, yes, THAT boy," the president said, his face scrunching up as though he had a bad taste in his mouth. "I suppose it's no wonder he was the one who brought her in."

"Reno has proven time and again his is befitting of a Turk." Tseng's voice was stiff. "And I know in time Aven shall do the very same."

Shinra snorted, signaling his disagreement with the second in command's assessment. "I don't care how you think they'll perform in the future," he grumbled picking his fork back up. "The here and now is all that matters."

"Of course sir," Tseng murmured keeping his discontent to himself. It was times like this that he really despised working for the man.

"So, since getting these new recruits, have you made any headway on that Wutain bunch in the city?" he asked taking his first bite of the food. "After that fiasco with the monsters running wild you must have found something."

"We're still looking into it, sir," Tseng told him not looking forward to his reaction.

"Still looking into it? You've had three years to look into it. I want them found and destroyed," the president shouted before shoveling a few more forkfulls of food into his mouth.

Tseng nodded obligingly, thankful to Reno for doing a miracle work on his patience. To be fair, they all believed the incident three years ago had been closed until just this last year. They weren't even sure if this matter was directly correlated to the one of the past. He wasn't about to argue specifics with the president though. There were so many things he could point out, but it would all be wasted breath. The issue was, there was a threat, and they needed to find it and end it.

"Of course, President Shinra. In the meantime might I suggest…" Tseng was cut off when the president began coughing. The coughs were loud and heavy and in a matter of seconds they became gasping wheezes.

Tseng rose up from his chair and pulled out his PHS. As he moved around the table to assist the gasping man he got in contact with an emergency response team.

As he reached the president's side, he saw food fall from his mouth followed by a stream of saliva. Tseng wasn't certain if the man was choking or something more serious until he saw the small amount of foam at the corners of his mouth. Poison.

As soon as he saw this, he attempted to get the larger man to throw up what he'd eaten, but his throat was much too closed off to allow such an act. He didn't have to do much else, however, as the response team arrived and began working on administering an antidote to keep him alive.

Once he was certain that the president was in good hands, he turned and pulled his PHS back out dialing a number.

"Haruto, I need an immediate sweep of everyone that's entered and left the cafeteria in the last hour. The president has been poisoned. We need to find the culprit now. Take Reno and Estelle with you."

Tryg was grateful to finally be done with training. He was used to working nights and sleeping in during the day, so his biological alarm clock was still trying to adjust to the schedule change. Before going to his room to crash, he stopped by the TK for a cool drink and a snack. Stepping in, he found it wasn't completely empty. The kid was sitting on the couch with what looked like paint and a couple of figurines.

She paused when she heard him come in and welcomed him with a wide grin. "Hey, Tryg. Have a good work out?"

"Just how long am I gonna be in training before they put me on?" He asked, not bothering to answer her inquiry.

She shrugged. "Couldn't tell you. For me it was about a month."

"Yeah, but that's not too surprising," he commented with a smirk.

"Hey, at least I didn't take two years," she shot back. She sighed and went back to her painting. "Rude had two years of it before he was put on his first missions. I hear it varies from person to person. I think Estelle was pretty much put on missions from the get go...but I guess that's what happens when you come from the academy."

Tryg mumbled something unintelligible before heading over to the kitchen. He'd already been there for a week or so and all he'd been doing is training. The thought of being stuck in training longer than her grated on his nerves. There's no way she was ready to be a Turk before him.

He got a light soda from the fridge and took a few drinks from it before searching the cabinets. He found a few packages of Lean n' Mean and tore one open. As he bit into the stick of spicy jerky, he watched the kid continue to work on whatever project she had going. She was painting a figurine of an animal with black paint. On the table was a doll, finished and set aside to dry.

"You're welcome to come join me over here if you want." She didn't look at him as she said this.

"I'm not staying long," he told her.

"Oh, well maybe I'll join you for training later," she replied slowly applying a coat of paint.

"No, I'd rather train alone," he responded lightly finishing off the jerky. "You'd just get in my way."

"Hehe, I doubt that," she chuckled holding up the finished doll and turning it in her hand. "I can keep up with Reno and Rude just fine."

Tryg looked over at her after this comment. He honestly didn't think she'd be able to. Reno was super fast and Rude's punches hurt worse than everything that had been thrown at him back at Corneo's. Then again, he'd yet to see what she could do.

Just as he was finishing off his drink, the door to the TK suddenly burst open and Tseng entered with Haruto right behind him. "Hey Tseng," Aven greeted. "What's wrong?"

It was clear something was up by the grim looks on both the Turks' faces. "Aven, did you go to the cafeteria in the last hour?"

"Yes, sir, I did," she replied readily.

"And did you go into the kitchens at any point in time after that?"

She nodded. "Yes. I was talking to one of the chefs and he invited me back to show me how some of the stuff was made."

Tseng placed a hand on his side while the other rubbed at his forehead. Behind him, Haruto adjusted his glasses.

"This makes it even more problematic," the latter commented to the former.

Aven looked between the two of them, starting to feel a little anxious. "What's going on?"

Tseng took a deep breath before leveling a stern look at the young Turk. "Aven, I want you to turn out your pockets," he ordered stepping closer to the couch with Haruto moving to the opposite side.

If she wasn't nervous before, she sure was now. Why on earth would they want her to empty her pockets. Slowly she reached into her pants pockets and pulled out her PHS, wallet and keys. Then she dipped her hands into her coat pockets. Out of the right one she pulled out a receipt for the art supplies.

The hand in her left pocket froze a moment later, as it felt something small and glass. She couldn't remember putting anything into the pocket and slowly removed the object feeling even more nervous now then before. When she opened her hand, she saw a small cylindrical vial. It was completely empty.

"Where did this...?" she started to ask before Haruto pulled the vial out of her open hand.

"I'll get the contents analyzed right away," he promised Tseng before leaving the room.

Aven watched Haruto leave before looking back to Tseng. His expression was severe as he said, "You'll need to come with me."

* * *

CM: Oh snap! what's gonna happen now? Well, at least we have another turk on board, but whats gonna happen to Aven? Stay tuned and thanks for reading! :D


	24. Running Out of Time

**Chapter 24: Running Out of Time**

It was a couple hours later that Rude walked into the viewing room to Interrogation Room 3. He'd only just returned from a long mission and heard about the mess with the President and that Aven was the main suspect. When he entered the room, he wasn't surprised to see that Reno was present staring through the one way glass with a very serious expression on his face. Beside him stood Haruto who was flipping through a small file.

"Anything?" he asked looking between the two.

"Nothing that'll clear her," Reno grumbled. "Tseng got her to spill every detail of the last hour or so and all we managed to pull only made things worse."

"What do you mean?"

"She had the vial of poison on her person and confirmed that she'd been in the cafeteria where they were preparing the president's food," Haruto explained. "The only thing missing is the motive."

"Probably because she doesn't have one," said Reno . "Not unless Shinra Jr. put her up to it, though I don't think he'd be that stupid. Plus he'd be short of a dog sitter."

Haruto flipped the file close. "I was just speaking with him a while ago. He doesn't seem terribly concerned about his father being poisoned, though that hardly makes him a suspect."

Rude didn't think that was much of a surprise. It was no big secret that the relationship Rufus and his dad shared was tenuous at best. Like Reno said, the kid wasn't dumb enough to try poisoning his dad and then pinning it on a Turk of all people.

"Aven did mention running into Victoria on her way out of the pool," Haruto mentioned blithely. "However, the head of accounting wasn't around the cafeteria area during that time so it doesn't help us any, or her."

Rude stepped over to where Reno stood to see Aven speaking to Tseng. He could tell she was trying to keep up a strong front in spite of being a prime suspect. Her eyes were guiltless, but that wouldn't matter if they couldn't prove her innocent.

The bald Turk heard the faint sound of knuckles cracking and knew without looking that Reno 's hands were balled tight into fists. The red head was lightning in a bottle right now.

"Has anyone checked the video feed?" Rude asked after a time of silence. He hadn't taken his eyes off the younger Turk. Despite her best efforts to appear as calm as she needed to be, he could see her hands wringing together. She was scared...and who could blame her? If they couldn't prove her innocent in this situation she'd be killed; end of story.

"Cissnei is working on that right now," Haruto murmured moving closer to the pair and looking solemnly through the glass. "Hopefully she'll be able to find something to throw doubt on her being the culprit."

"Tch, there's no way the squirt pulled this," Reno grumbled. "Kind of reminds you of three years ago, huh."

"Indeed, but circumstances are different. None of us would do such a thing, and our newest recruits lack both means and motive as well," the swordsman pointed out. He paused, then said, "However, for once you and I are in agreement. I could never believe her responsible for something such as this."

"I mean, she's just… she worse than Rude!" Reno said gesturing to his partner. "You know that just the other day she found a spider in her bathtub? Most girls would kill it. Or, you know, get a guy to. But she took the thing outside and set it free." He shook his head. "The only way she'd ever kill is if she had to."

Haruto gave a labored sigh. "If our word alone was enough, then this wouldn't be an issue."

The three fell into a tense silence as they watched the pair continue to talk. After a time, the second in command returned to his feet and left the room. As soon as he was gone, the three saw Aven slump over the table and run both hands through her hair. She was more on edge than they thought.

Moments later, the door to the viewing room opened and Tseng entered nodding to each of the Turks present. "What have you to report?" he asked them managing to stay calm despite the current predicament they were in.

"Nothing good I'm afraid. We've had several eyewitnesses seeing Aven in the cafeteria. A handful, including the chefs, saw her go back into the kitchens," Haruto listed off. "The scientists down in the labs ID'd the substance in the vial Aven was carrying. It was indeed a poison and matched what was found in the president's food. Her fingerprints are the only ones on the bottle."

Tseng rubbed his eyes, appearing extremely tired. He'd had a long day and to have this happen on top of it was pushing the boundaries of his stress levels. "How is the president?"

"He'll live," Rude announced.

_"Big freakin' whoop,"_ Reno thought in his head as he kept his eyes on the kid. If that was the only good news for the day then it sure as hell wasn't worth getting up for.

"What about others that entered the cafeteria?" he asked taking a few deep breaths.

"There were plenty that went into the cafeteria, but only the chefs and Aven entered the back," Haruto answered with a shake of his head. "Only the head chef was allowed anywhere near the president's food."

"And he's already been checked multiple times and found trustworthy," Tseng sighed. "Any idea how far along Cissnei is in the video feed?"

"She's finished," a higher voice answered as the young auburn haired Turk entered the room. "It won't help us though. I checked everywhere Aven went. There was only one chance someone could put the vial in her clothing but she was the only one who entered the girl's locker room at the pool."

"What about her account of seeing Victoria after leaving the pool?" Reno asked quickly.

Cissnei shook her head. "The video footage showed Aven alone all the way from the pool to her room. According to the other accountants, Victoria called out sick today. She didn't even enter the building."

"So even her alibi doesn't hold up," Tseng murmured. He rubbed his chin while his eyes shifted over to the red head watching the girl through the window. "Reno, you're familiar with the head of accounting, are you not?"

Reno shrugged, not looking at him. "You could say that."

"She's only been completing his taxes for him for… how many years now?" Haruto asked airily.

"Up yours."

"As I was saying," Tseng continued, "Perhaps, Reno, you can go pay the woman a visit."

"I'd rather not head over to her place for work," Reno muttered rubbing his neck.

"Complicated relationship?" Rude asked.

"No, I'm sure she's just more than he can handle," Haruto chuckled.

"That's not it at all," Reno shot back.

"I don't care the reason for you not wanting to go," Tseng cut in. "I need you to go talk to her just in case. She may be the only lead we have."

"Right, you can count on me boss," Reno replied reluctantly.

* * *

Reno didn't need directions to get to Victoria's place. He'd been to her apartment enough times he could probably sleepwalk there… if he was horny enough. It was about a half hour walk though, so he had plenty of time to think about things on his way over.

This was the first time he'd ever visited the woman on business. The rest of the times had been strictly about pleasure. Sometimes he'd stay the night if he didn't feel like going back home. He never invited her to stay at his place, but then again, none of the females he dated ever saw the inside of his suite. It was just one of his policies, and it had been the end of many a relationship.

Reno wasn't bothered by the visit so much as the reason for it.

He liked Victoria and while he wasn't about to choose her over his job, it still left a bad taste in his mouth to think about her as the mole. Still, if she was, then she messed with the wrong Turk and was going to learn that the hard way.

As he reached her pad, he easily walked up to the door and knocked keeping his normal smirk in place. The last thing he needed was her figuring out his real reason for visiting. Moments later, the door opened and Victoria looked out from the crack in the door, her hair hanging in her face sticking to it with sweat and a blanket wrapped around her thin shoulders.

"Oh, hello, Reno," she murmured slowly. It certainly looked like she'd been sick all day. "I wasn't expecting you. I'd rather you not see me like this. You may decide not to come back."

"Aw, you got nothing to worry about there, sweet thing," Reno said, leaning against the door frame with his elbow. "I'm used to seeing you all hot and sweaty."

She gave a weak laugh. "You really are terrible."

"Yeah, I know. It's part of the charm." He tilted his head to the side a little. "I don't suppose I can come in for a bit? You look like you could use some friendly company. I know I sure could."

"I don't know…" She appeared reluctant. "I don't want you catching whatever I have."

"Not to worry. I have an incredible immune system," he assured her with his winning smile. "Right now I just really want your company."

Victoria was silent for a few moments, until finally she nodded. "I suppose some company would be nice."

His grin widened in mild triumph as he stepped through the doorway after she opened it farther. "I heard you were sick, but with the way you are I was sure either they were just telling stories or exaggerating," he commented looking around her apartment. There was nothing of particular interest in view so he turned to look at her.

"What, slow day at the office?" she asked weakly in her teasing manner.

"Heh, hardly," he chuckled taking a seat on one of her chairs and motioning for her to join him. "Granted I was out on patrol for most of it."

She slowly approached him and sat on his lap turning so she could face him properly. "That sounds like a boring day to me," she commented trying to brush a bit of her hair out of her face.

Reno nodded, rubbing his neck. "It was. Worse part was I found out I missed out on some serious action."

"Oh?" She leaned towards his chest a little. "What happened?"

The red head leaned towards her as well, adopting a whisper. "Well, I can't share any specifics, it being top secret and all, but we discovered a traitor in our ranks."

Her eyes widened. "How terrible! Who is it?"

"The kid I brought in." Reno shook his head solemnly. "Can you believe it? This is gonna blow my reputation to hell."

"Oh, darling…" Victoria looked all but sympathetic. "Surely your reputation is still safe. From what I hear, you're one of the best there is."

"Haha, yeah I am," he laughed enjoying the attention. "Still though, I can't believe she actually tried to kill the president."

"The president?" Victoria asked in astonishment. "She really went that far?"

"Oops, crap I wasn't supposed to say anything about that," he said scratching his head. "Oh well, you'll keep that on the down low right sweetheart?"

"Of course," she murmured leaning her head against his shoulder. "But she seemed like such a cute little thing. What makes you think it was her?"

"Well, all the evidence points to it," Reno answered with a shrug. "I mean at first I was reluctant to believe it myself. She just doesn't strike me as the type. But there's nothing that says she didn't do it so that's the logical answer."

"Oh...well I'm sorry you have to treat one of your own like a criminal," she expressed giving him a small squeeze and running a finger across his chest. "Is there any way I can make you feel better?"

"Well, I can think of several things, but you're sick so I won't mention them." He laughed when she gave him a weak shove and a breathy giggle. "Don't worry about me. Just seeing your lovely face brightened my day. Besides, it's a lot easier this way."

Victoria's face fell into an expression of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if she's guilty, she's dead in all ways, end of story. That's just how we work." His grin became a little lopsided. "Now… say she was actually innocent and someone framed her, well… sucks to be them." He chuckled a bit. "I mean, normally I'm not one to take things personal, but I just don't like other people messing with my things. It turns me into a very unpleasant person."

Their eyes met at this and he thought he saw something flash behind the dim orbs, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Then she slowly closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder again. "I guess you're right then. It is better this way," she murmured her speech slowing the slightest bit.

"Yeah..." He held her there in that position for awhile thinking through what had happened and her reactions. Could Aven be right? Or was she just hooked on her because of Justin. Reno didn't know, but he sure as hell was going to find out. No one messed with his things. "Well, I should get going. You need your rest and I have to report in."

Victoria nodded and pulled away from him. "Of course. Take care of yourself."

"Same to you, get better soon." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before getting up and showing himself out.

* * *

After Reno returned, he delivered his report to Tseng. Again, it was a rather disappointing amount of information...and nothing they could use to help their comrade. After the report was given, Tseng informed him that he'd be in charge of Aven until they had everything settled. Reno didn't mind too much as he was sort of used to it by now, but he really wished he didn't have to.

After Reno left to go check up on the younger Turk, Tseng decided it was time to pay the commander a visit. He quickly made his way to his boss' office and knocked on the door before waiting for the call to come in. Then he entered when the call came and nodded in greeting towards the larger man.

"Tseng, I trust progress has been made regarding the attempted assassination of the President," the commander murmured once the door was closed behind the second in command.

"Very little I'm afraid," Tseng answered shaking his head. "Every piece of evidence we have discovered points to Aven being the culprit. Our one possible lead was a dead end."

The commander rubbed at the stubble of his chin, an age old sign that something was really bothering him. "Tell me, Tseng, your honest opinion. Do you think she is responsible?"

Tseng disliked questions like this, and it wasn't the first time he'd been asked something similar. "It's never a complete impossibility."

"I didn't ask if it was impossible or not, Tseng," Veld said patiently. "I'm asking what you think personally."

Tseng's mouth tightened. "If my opinion made any difference at all, then no, sir, I don't believe she is the culprit."

"Opinion can make all the difference in the world, Tseng," Veld told him. "Monsters have many faces. The fact you all have so much faith and confidence in her can only lead me to trust her as well."

Tseng stood rigid, not wanting to reveal just how under pressure he felt at the moment. Not from his boss, but from the situation. "But we need some sort of proof that she is innocent. None of our opinions can save her."

"This is true," Veld agreed. "However, doubt can cause one to ignore possible routes. Leads or helpful evidence could be missed." He chuckled a little after this and added. "Besides, I honestly believe that if she did want to do away with someone, she wouldn't use a method as subtle as poison."

Tseng had to agree with this. Aven wasn't really what you'd call the subtle type. With her fiery attitude and similarities to Reno, he was pretty certain she'd come out and either shoot them from point blank range or straight up hit them.

"I've checked in on the president's condition," Veld continued. "The poison did not manage to kill him, but it did do a significant amount of damage. The doctors believe he will be bedridden for roughly a week or more. Though given the man's tenacity I'm willing to bet he'll shorten that duration by a few days."

Tseng nodded. The president was indeed adamant about his work. He treasured his company too much to let it go unattended for too long. "So then, we have that long to find anything that will shift the blame away from Aven."

"Precisely," Veld replied looking the younger man in the eye. "Make sure that this perpetrator is caught." Tseng nodded and turned to leave. Before he opened the door he was stopped once more. "And Tseng, remember, there are only so many ways a person can manipulate an outcome within the space of an hour."

The second in command nodded in understanding before leaving the office. Once he was gone, Veld sighed and rubbed his forehead. This mole was becoming rather irritating. He was certain that whoever they were, their time at Shinra was coming to an end. But the most recent act had him wondering, what could they possibly gain by throwing suspicion for such a grievous act onto one of the Turks: other than being down one Turk of course? Odds were the truth would be found no matter how well it was hidden. What were they planning now?

* * *

Aven examined the purple and gold moogle closely before setting it on the newspaper to dry. It had been three days since she'd been placed under house arrest and she was quickly running out of things to occupy her time with. Every night that passed just added to her growing dread that her name was never going to get cleared.

She heard a knock on her door and her heart picked up a beat. It could be someone with good news, or it could be someone come to drag her off to the execution chamber. Though she supposed in the latter case they wouldn't bother knocking.

"Come in," she called, setting the paint brush down and wiping her hands on a damp cloth.

The door opened and Aven was surprised to see the dark haired swordsman step inside. "Hey, Haru," she murmured softly. "Any news?"

"Nothing I am permitted to say at the moment," he answered easily walking over to the couch and glancing down at her project. "Is this another...like the ones you were working on in the TK?"

"Yeah...I sort of ran out of members I could make so I'm just doing whatever comes to mind now," she sighed looking down at her moogle. "It gets really boring staying in here all the time."

Haruto lowered himself down onto the sofa, taking a seat on the edge of one of the cushions. "I understand, and I'm glad you're waiting patiently while we attempt to sort this all out."

"Well, it's not like there's anything I can do, is there?" she asked, closing up the small containers of paint.

The swordsman smiled widely, the end of his scar shifting as he did so. "To be quite honest, I expected you to take matters into your own hands by this point."

Aven nibbled the inside of her lip. The thought had crossed her mind more than once.

"There's not a lot of time left, is there?" she asked slowly without looking at him. "I've heard the President can be unreasonable. Once he's awake you won't be allowed to look into it anymore, huh?"

"Yes, that is correct," he answered slowly. "However, we should still have a few days left."

"Maybe," she sighed. It was hard to think optimistically when everything they found just seemed to strengthen the case against her instead of help her. "Haru...I swear I didn't do it."

His smile softened, but he didn't offer any words of comfort or assurance. Instead, he patted the seat beside him, silently asking her to sit with him. She did so, sinking into the cushion next to him. "You know, a few years back, Reno was in a situation not dissimilar to yours."

Aven looked at him in surprise. "Reno was?"

Haruto nodded. "Oh yes, granted he wasn't a part of our ranks at the time, so needless to say there were very few who believed he was blameless."

"You weren't one of them, were you?" she guessed with a small smile.

"To be fair, what he was blamed for fell in line with being characteristic of him. That and I just didn't like him."

"Seems like you still don't," she commented in a teasing manner.

"That's true. I still can hardly stand to be in the same room as him. Most of the time," he admitted with a small chuckle. "Occasionally he can be bearable."

She smiled at this and nodded in understanding. "So...what happened then?"

"We discovered the truth and flushed out the rats that set it up," Haruto answered with a nostalgic smile. "Though it did take a few weeks to locate the mastermind. The point is though, we succeeded before he was fully punished for a crime he did not commit."

"Think I'll get off as easy?"

"I can't make any guarantees," he said, his tone apologetic. "However, I can promise if and when we do find who did it, they will come to regret it. We take the offense of discrediting one of our own very seriously."

Aven shivered, not liking the tilt of his smile just then. "Please… um, no torture. I mean, I'd just be happy with them being caught and put in prison or something."

Haruto frowned at this. "Why would you wish leniency on someone who is arranging for your death?"

"Getting information is one thing, but doing it just to prove a point?" She shook her head. "That just doesn't sit right with me at all."

The swordsman reached out and took her hand, softly kissing her knuckles the way he had when they first met. "You truly are too kind for this world. I find myself almost envying you."

Aven grinned at this blushing heavily at his compliment. "Thanks...I think."

He just smiled warmly at her as the door opened and in walked Reno without a single knock. "Oops, I didn't interrupt anything did I?" he asked in a teasing manner.

Haruto sighed and got to his feet giving the young Turk one last encouraging smile before he went to the door. "Not a thing," he answered Reno as he passed by the red head. Then he added in a whisper, "Just keep her spirits up. We'll do the rest."

"Heh, who'd have thought you actually cared," Reno chuckled back just as softly so the girl watching them couldn't hear. "Just get something before her time runs out. I don't want to lose my first candidate this early on."

"We'll do what we can," Haruto promised. Then he left, looking forward to the many restless days ahead of them.

* * *

Timed missions were always a pain in the ass. Sure, they gave you a nice little adrenaline rush, especially if you were cutting it really close. Normally Reno didn't have a problem. Him being the speedy devil he was, he could get most stuff done within the time limit and still have enough left to kick back with a beer or a smoke.

This was different though. The time limit was stretched over a period of days. There was no exact timer, and when the time did run out, his candidate would be kindly directed to the gas chamber. It seemed like every time he blinked another day was gone.

Reno was doing all he could to keep Aven's spirits up, acting like this was no big deal, like they'd already found a way to clear her. He knew the smiles she made were just to make him feel better, make him think he was doing a good job of keeping her happy and making her forget she didn't have long to live.

By the time day five rolled around he was sure he was failing and needed something to get her mind off the impending doom as well as her boredom. He suddenly got an idea as he watched her flip through the channels on the TV without really seeing anything.

"Hey squirt, I'll be right back," he told her getting to his feet and heading for the door. Just wait here for me for a bit."

He saw her look at him in confusion as he opened the door and left. Since she really didn't have anything else to do at the moment he was sure she would stay there until he got back. She'd done a good job of listening to orders so far and hadn't even attempted to leave.

He went to the TK and searched through the fridge but didn't find what he was looking for. He sure as hell wasn't going to ask the other Turks either. So he would just have to make a quick run to the market. He briefly thought about asking Haruto or someone else to watch her again, but he didn't want to waste time and he trusted her to behave herself for thirty minutes.

He left the Shinra building and went to one of the closest stores, Burning the Midnight Liquor. It had a pretty decent selection and he got a few things for him while picking out some lighter drinks for her.

"Having a party?" the cashier asked, seeing his large purchase.

"Hoping to," he answered with a shrug.

If Rude didn't kill him first, but he reasoned it was for a good cause.

"Well, I hope it turns out alright," the cashier expressed as Reno gathered up his purchase. "Oh, and I heard the president was hurt but should be just fine later today."

Reno paused and looked back at the man. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear," he laughed lightly.

"But they just played it on the news," the guy reasoned.

"Huh, well in that case it's probably true," Reno replied shortly. Then he left without another word. At the man's words he'd felt his gut churn. They were running out of time, and still he didn't hear anything that was promising.

Then he thought about where the guy had heard it and he groaned. The squirt was flipping through channels and may have heard the announcement herself. He needed to get back...just in case

He hurried back to the Shinra building and made his way back up to the apartment. He had to kick open the door since his hands were full with cases of alcohol. "Hey, squirt. I gotcha something I think you're really gonna…" He glanced around the front room, finding it empty. He dumped the stuff on her couch and all but ran to her bedroom. "Squirt?" Not there, and she wasn't in the bathroom either. He called out to her louder, but no answer came. "That moron… dammit to hell!" He swore loudly, running a hand through his hair. His worst fears had come true.

He sprinted from the room and began looking around as fast as he could. There were only two possible reasons for her not to be there; either she was spooked and decided to ditch the Turks, or she left hoping to help find a way to clear herself. The latter seemed like the more likely result which meant she would be...

Quickly he made his way down to the Accounting offices and began asking around about where the head was at that moment.

"Oh, Victoria? She left about 20 minutes ago," one of the female accountants answered with a shrug. "What's the matter, Reno, forget to bring her a gift you promised?" She was teasing of course but the redhead really wasn't in the mood to flirt.

Victoria was gone, which mean chances were the squirt was as well. "Dammit, Aven. Why couldn't you just stay there?" he mumbled to himself as he headed for the entrance.

* * *

CM: Oh dear, looks like things aren't going so smoothly. Will Aven be found in time before someone discovers she's missing? Or worse, before trouble finds her first? Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and please review if you can. :)


	25. Desperation

**Chapter 25: Desperation**

Rude couldn't fully recall the last time he felt this tired. Normally he was able to roll with the punches and not let the stress of his job get to him. However, a team mate's life was at risk and like everyone else, he was constantly aware of the deadline steadily closing in. There had often been days where Rude wished they'd never brought Aven to Shinra, and this week that thought had been constantly playing through his head. Call him a chauvinist, but he didn't think this line of work was suitable for a young girl who had so much more to look forward in life other than death and violence brought about by politics.

Still, he did his best to respect her wishes and treat her like he would any other member of the team. Even if it often times went against his nature. Reno had pointed it out to him many times before; that he had a habit on being soft towards women and children, and Aven was both of those.

He'd just reached the lobby of the Shinra building on his way for some food and maybe a drink, stifling a yawn as he went. He walked slowly through the lobby, taking in the appearance of all that were present. Some he recognized and others he didn't.

As he was nearing the front door, he noticed Victoria step through the door and a few moments later, Aven did as well.

His heart stopped seeing the young Turk follow the woman out the door. He quickly picked up his pace, making it outside just in time to see her disappear around a corner.

Rude wasn't sure who he felt more irritation towards at the moment; her for sneaking out while under house arrest or Reno for not keeping an eye on her. Well, he sure wasn't about to let her go off on her own, so without any second thoughts he followed her. As he watched her, it wasn't hard to figure out what she was doing. She was tailing the head of accounting, hoping to get some sort of dirt on the woman. The girl was probably desperate at this point, and really who could blame her? Desperation wasn't the best drive to work with, however, and Rude was considering just grabbing her and dragging her back to HQ. He knew though they were running out of time and out of leads. After much mental deliberation, Rude decided to let her investigate, but he would keep a close watch on her. Just in case.

The two Turks followed Victoria down into the slums where the older woman paused to take care of something. During this time, Rude momentarily lost sight of the younger Turk and swore under his breath. He knew she wouldn't be far behind the accountant, so he kept her in sight instead.

When the woman finally started moving again he noticed a small figure wearing raggedy clothing and a small hat begin to follow. He followed to two as well and after a moment realized the decrepit looking child was moving...just like Reno .

He inwardly groaned when he realized who it was. Somehow, Aven had managed to get a hold of a slum kid's outfit and to blend in even more, she had mimicked Reno 's swagger...and somehow nailed it.

When they reached the border between districts, Victoria paused and glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Then she reached into her pocket and fastened something to her bracelet. Then, she just… vanished. Rude was absolutely perplexed. He knew some monsters had the ability to cloak themselves, but not even Shinra had invented anything that could completely mask a person's presence from sight.

He looked to Aven, wondering what she would do next. Surprisingly enough, she continued onward like nothing had happened. Rude frowned, pondering the reasons, but went on with following her lead.

About ten minutes later he saw her stop near an empty lot between some old businesses. She glanced around the corner before looking around her and finding a window just above her head that was open. He waited until she was out of sight before moving closer and peaking through the window to see her near the side wall where another open window sat.

Curious to see what she was looking at, he glanced around the corner and was shocked to see a group of Wutain men standing around with their large powerful guns slung over their backs. As he watched, Victoria suddenly appeared before them removing the item from her bracelet. In an instant he knew the situation was bad, so he quickly made a call for a car to go to that area. They'd need a quick getaway just in case either of them was spotted.

Rude stayed where he was, keeping still and scanning the area to confirm no other suspicious persons were around. He could hear Victoria and the Wutains exchanging words in hushed tones, but could understand none of it. Meaning they were most likely speaking their native language. It seemed Aven had been right about the accountant. He only wished he could understand what they were saying. He'd never bothered to learn the language, and the only person he knew for a fact could speak it fluently was Tseng.

As he considered sending a message to Tseng telling him what he… or rather, Aven, had discovered, the conversation was interrupted by a loud chanting of:

"BEER IS GOOD! BEER IS GOOD! BEER IS GOOD…. AND STUFF!"

Rude mentally winced as he recognized it as Aven's ringtone for Reno . She'd forgotten to silence her phone. One of the many crucial things you were supposed to do during a stealth mission, and she'd forgotten it. This was why desperation was a bad motivator. It made you do things, or NOT do things that got you into serious trouble.

He chanced a glance through the window beside him and saw her struggling to shut her phone off; finally managing to without pulling it out. Once it was off he saw her start to move away from the window only to have a large hand reach through the opening and drag her through by her collar.

Rude cursed under his breath as he saw her dragged into the open in front of the group. He hoped the car got there soon...he really needed it.

He silently watched Victoria exchange a few words with her comrades before approaching Aven and glaring at her. "Who are you kid?" she demanded harshly.

Aven didn't reply and instead kept her face towards the ground. "Take the hat off," she declared.

"What would it matter?" one of the men asked. "It's just a kid. Let's just kill him and get it over with."

"Not until I figure out how he followed me here," she declared leaning closer to the girl. "Now, take off that hat."

Rude quickly fished into his pocket and pulled out a pepper bomb. He skillfully chucked it so that it rolled to a stop right at the Wutain's feet. None of them were expecting it and thus couldn't get clear fast enough. It went off and soon the room was filled the sound of people stumbling and coughing and the pepper burned their eyes and throats.

In the meantime Rude had gone around to the window Aven had been closest to. The girl was blindly feeling her way towards the window, both her eyes and mouth clamped tightly shut. In that moment he was proud that she had recognized it. She stumbled into his reach and he grabbed her by the arm. After pulling her to him, he lifted her with ease through the window and away from view.

She didn't open her eyes until she gave a few sniffs of the air. "R-Rude?"

He grunted in answer as he carried her towards the street. He didn't stop until the car he called pulled up beside them and a door was thrown open. Rude tossed Aven into the back seat and dove in after her before telling the driver to take them back to the Shinra parking garage. The man nodded and drove off away from the slums.

It wasn't until the car was moving that Aven risked opening her eyes and looked up at her superior. "Rude...I don't know how..." she started to say before his fist came down on the top of her head. "Ouch!" she shouted grabbing the spot in pain. "What was that for?"

He didn't answer. Instead he drew her in for a tight hug. The gesture made her freeze and after a few moments she relaxed against him. "That was a stupid move," he told her before letting her go.

She looked guiltily down at the seat. "I know."

"You weren't supposed to leave your room."

"I know."

"You could've gotten killed."

"I KNOW." She looked up at him imploringly. "But I couldn't just sit around anymore, Rude. I had to do SOMETHING."

Rude shifted so he was facing forward in his seat. He heard her sigh before settling into the same position. "How did you find me?" she asked softly.

"I followed you," he answered simply.

She began to ask another question but stopped before the first word could be finished. Her cell phone was going off again and she answered it. "Hey, Reno."

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

Rude could hear each word quite distinctly and Aven jumped before holding the phone as far away from her ear as possible. "You idiot! You almost blew out my ear!" she shouted back.

"I don't care! Now where the hell did you go?" Reno shouted back.

"I'm in a car with Rude," she answered rubbing her ear and pulling her hat off in the same gesture. Rude noted that her untouched hair fell about her face which was covered in dirt.

There was a long stretch of silence before he spoke again. "Let me talk to Rude."

She sighed and handed the phone over to the other Turk. Rude put it to his ear and was able to explain to Reno basically what had happened within a few short sentences.

"Wow, that was lucky," Reno sighed on the other end. "Alright, I'll let Tseng know what's going on. He'll probably want to talk to her as soon as you guys get back."

"Figured," Rude replied shortly. "Give us five."

"Sure thing, partner." The phone went dead after that and the bald Turk handed it back to the dirt covered female.

Aven shoved the phone back into her pocket looking rather morose. "Geez, I don't think I've ever heard him so angry."

Rude looked over at her. It was really no surprise that Reno was upset. Not only had she run out on his watch, but it could have caused all sorts of complications. "You expected him to be happy?"

"Of course not, but…" She chewed her lower lip for a few moments, thinking. "I mean, he's done reckless things before, hasn't he?"

Rude nodded. They both had, and they both paid for it. "He doesn't want you making those mistakes."

"Tseng's probably gonna be mad too, huh?" she asked, dread slipping into her voice.

That went without saying. "What do you think?"

She winced slightly and pulled her shoulders up to her ears. She knew the moment she decided to go for it the Wutain Turk would be pissed. "I guess I should brace myself," she muttered. "I'm probably going to end up in the hospital or on probation for this."

"Maybe," he replied knowing she was partially right, though he doubted they'd do enough damage to put her in the hospital.

Still, she didn't feel very good about her chances. They stayed silent for the rest of the trip back and once they arrived, Rude escorted her up to Tseng's office keeping a very tight grip on her arm to express his current mood. When they finally reached the office he gave her a light push into the room and closed the door behind her. He really didn't want to know just how much trouble she was in with the second in command and decided to head to the TK to wait and get himself some much needed food.

* * *

When Aven had been caught by Victoria and the Wutains, she'd been scared. When she'd attempted to save Reno during the Junon mission and had become overpowered, she'd been scared then too. However, neither of those experiences was more terrifying than nor as gut-churning as standing in her superior's office as he scrutinized her with a cold, dark stare. If she had a choice, she'd probably take her chances with a dragon rather than having to meet Tseng's eyes at the moment.

After about a minute or two of uncomfortable silence, he said, "I honestly don't know where to begin." The anger in his tone was thick but controlled. It was the disappointment that flowed freely, and that's what stung the most. "When you left today were you, at the very least, aware of all the repercussions your actions today could have caused? Not just for your fellow Turk members but the company as a whole?"

"Maybe not everything, sir," Aven answered honestly. Her voice was a notch above whispering and she kept her head bowed. She still didn't understand fully about companies and politics.

"What did you understand?" he asked with forced calm.

"I knew that doing so would be a betrayal of trust," she answered after a few moments. "I knew that I'd be in a lot of trouble. I knew it'd only make me look even more guilty...and I could have gotten myself killed."

Tseng closed his eyes for a moment, pleased that she at least understood that much. "Now explain to me why you thought it necessary to risk all of that and more."

"I heard that the President was waking up...and panicked," she answered honestly.

"Is that all?" he pressed.

Aven shook her head. "I just had a feeling, sir. It seemed like everyone was focused on this whole thing. Everyone believed in me, and they wanted to prove I didn't do it." Which had made her beyond happy. It had been the only thing that had gotten her through that week.

Tseng also felt she was correct in that statement. He didn't doubt there wasn't a single person on the force, himself included, who doubted her. "If you knew that, then why did you decide to take matters into your own hands?"

"Well, sir, if I was someone who wanted to sneak in or attack a place, I'd do it when the security was focused on something else."

This gave Tseng pause. "You felt this whole thing was a distraction?" He himself had wondered about it; felt that, while it had been executed almost flawlessly, the impact it would have on the company overall seemed lacking.

Aven nodded. "I didn't have anything planned though. I just… got lucky."

"A colossal understatement," Tseng muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"I know, but I had to try," she continued. "But before I get fired or executed...just listen to this." She pulled a small item out of the pocket of her current outfit and set it on his desk. It appeared to be a recording device and Tseng raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't know if there is anything useful on it...but it should at least have something."

"What do you mean you don't know what's on it?" he asked her. He couldn't tell if she meant she stole it or what.

"It's...they were speaking a language I've never heard before," she answered apologetically.

Tseng frowned before taking the recorder. He hoped for her sake whatever was on it would be well worth her risking life, limb and employment.

* * *

Reno had wanted to be the first to give Aven a good tongue lashing, and maybe another kind of lashing depending on how repentant she was. Unfortunately, his buddy Rude had been there to do it first, and there was no way the red head was going anywhere near Tseng's office while she was in it. As angry as he was, he was also… well, worried. After this little stunt Tseng or the commander might very well decide to expel her from the Turks.

As he sat in one of the sofas of the TK, Rude came over and pressed an open beer into the red's hand which had been resting on the arm. Reno glanced up at him and smiled in thanks. "How long you think he'll tear into her?"

Rude sat himself down on the opposite end of the sofa and shrugged. "Couldn't say."

"Think they'll kick her out after this?" Reno asked after taking a swig of his beer.

Rude shook his head. "I don't know," he answered slowly. "Depends on what she brought back."

"What did she bring back?" Reno asked curiously.

"No idea. She was right about Victoria though."

"Figured...what proved that?" Reno asked leaning forward in his seat. He wanted to know what happened so he could figure out how best to punish her.

Rude briefly explained what he witnessed from the time he started following Aven up to the point where he tossed her into the get-away car. Reno listened occasionally interrupting to request more detail on particular situations. What confused him the most about Rude's story was…

"You say she just vanished? Like 'poof'?"

Rude made a head motion of 'no'. "More like faded."

"Weird… some kind of materia?"

"Could be."

"Huh… the squirt did find that piece of unprocessed materia down in the tunnels," Reno recalled, sipping at his beer. "But from what it sounds like, Aven had no problems following her."

"I was going to ask about it, but didn't get the chance," Rude explained shaking his head.

"Maybe once Tseng's done reaming her we can ask," Reno suggested finishing off his beer. As soon as he finished talking, the door opened and two people entered, Tryg and Estelle. "Hey, rookies. What have you two been up to?"

"Just got done with afternoon training," Tryg answered sullenly.

"I'm guessing Haruto was your training partner?" Reno ventured with a grin. The male gunslinger nodded before heading over to the fridge, doing a spectacular job at hiding the slight limp he had. The red head turned to the Estelle. "And what about you?"

The blonde's answer was stiff and professional. "I was in the gun range, sir."

"Aw, Stellie, I already told ya, you don't have to call me..." Reno trailed off when two more people entered the room. First was Tseng looking very much in serious mode, and behind him was Aven trying to master the art of invisibility and failing miserably.

Both Reno and Rude got to their feet at the second in command's entrance. They remained silent until Tseng looked over all four of the present Turks, Aven standing just behind him out of his sight. "So...what's the verdict boss?" Reno asked when no one else seemed willing to talk.

"I'll explain it later," Tseng answered swiftly. "Right now I need the two of you to follow me. Tryg, Estelle, I need the two of you to keep watch over her...and get her cleaned up."

The two rookies looked over at the younger Turk and took in her dirt covered appearance. Reno and Rude looked over everyone before exchanging glances. Then as Tseng left, they followed, the red head patting Aven on the head as he passed.

Once they were gone, Tryg turned to the younger Turk in confusion. "What the hell did you do this time?" he asked slowly.

"I snuck out and followed the mole into the slums to a meeting with a group of Wutains," she answered sheepishly.

"That sounds very irresponsible as well as unprofessional," Estelle remarked with a mild frown.

Aven sighed running a dirty hand through her normally white curls. "Yes, I know. It's been made very clear to me already by multiple people."

"There a reason you're dressed like a paperboy chimney sweep?" Tryg asked, lighting up a smoke.

"It was for a disguise. I bought them off of a slum boy I came across while tracking someone." She looked down at herself. "I guess I should shower and change."

"Actually, I think that look suits you better than the uniform," the gunman commented.

"Oh shut up," Aven muttered lowly. She really didn't want to have to deal with him at the moment.

"It would probably be best if you got cleaned up," Estelle spoke up quickly. "Slum dirt can often hold a lot more than just dirt. It'd be a shame if you developed a disease just after your reckless adventure."

Aven blanched at the idea of what all she'd smeared over her face and in her hair. "Right," she mumbled before following Estelle out of the room.

* * *

"Do you have a visual?"

"Yeah...I think I can pick out a good...15. With that many explosives the building would be blown sky high."

"Two dozen enemies. They're on edge."

There was silence over the coms after this, as Tseng, Reno , Rude, Haruto, and Cissnei all spread out through the basement level of the Shinra building without being seen by the Wutain forces guarding the ones setting up the multiple bombs attached to the different support beams.

They had picked the perfect time to attack, when all of the SOLDIERS were off on missions. They made the mistake of thinking the Turks would be an easy obstacle to bypass.

"The area has been secured," Haruto informed.

"We have one chance at this," Tseng told them all. "Reno and Rude, you both are in charge of disarming the bombs."

"No problem," said Reno.

"Roger that," came Rude.

"Haruto and Cissnei, you both are in charge of going in and taking care of our guests."

"Leave it to us," Cissnei replied.

The group waited for Tseng's signal as they watched their enemy continue to fiddle with the bombs. Just as two of the enemy passed by Haruto's hiding place, the signal was given and the swordsman shot out slicing through both enemies before they even knew what was happening.

At the same time, Cissnei threw her Rekka which flew through the air slicing through a couple others before returning to its owner. Reno and Rude shot over to the bomb setters, knocking the two out before getting to work disarming the ones that were already set.

The initial attack had taken out several members of the Wutain forces, but they quickly recovered and went on the counter attack. Right away, Tseng knew this fight was going to be a problem. He'd kept hidden so he could safely assess the enemy's abilities before joining in himself. It paid off when he watched a half dozen of them fade into nothingness before his eyes. Just as Rude had described it.

Tseng watched carefully from his position as his Turks carried out their tasks to the best of their abilities, even under the circumstances. Haruto and Cissnei took caution, keeping their ears peeled while also dealing with what was still visible to them. He caught sight of Rude's progress being interrupted as the bald Turk was taking measured swings at the air. His head jerked back, indicated something unseen struck him. Tseng took aim and fired at a spot in front of the Turk.

It must have done some damage because Rude was able to grab hold of the invisible Wutain and disable him. The body reappeared, and Tseng wondered if it was because they were either dead or unconscious. The swordsman and chakram wielder were managing to hold up, but were taking far more damage than what was usual to them. Reno meanwhile was nowhere in sight. Where in the world did that idiot...

"Tseng, duck!"

The Wutain Turk's reaction was immediate and he ducked as a bolt of lightning shot over his head. It did make solid contact with something as the air nearby crackled and someone let out a scream as the smell of burning flesh became prominent.

Moments later the person became visible once more as it twitched on the ground. The dark haired Turk turned to see Reno grinning in triumph. "Reno, can you see them?" he asked in surprise.

"Barely but yeah," he answered with a shrug. "It's more a silhouette than anything else but still..."

"That's good enough," Tseng murmured quickly. "Since you can see them, direct the others as to their locations. Once they're disposed of we should be able to return to the original plan." He turned his attention back to the fight at hand. Then as an afterthought he added, "Try to stick close to Rude...give him a chance to keep working at those bombs."

"Heh, you got it boss," Reno agreed.

Moments later, Reno's voice was the only one that filled the coms as he kept directing everyone to where the invisible enemies were standing, moving to, or attacking.

Just when it seemed the battle was getting easier, Tseng received a message from one of the Soldiers. "Monsters are swarming the place! They're attempting to get in."

Tseng closed his eyes in dread. It was just like the previous time. "How many?"

"Dozens of them," the soldier reported. "They're all crawling up from the slums. We'll need reinforcements."

Tseng was about to reply when a familiar voice came over the com links. "Hey Tseng, don't worry about the little beasties. Kunsel and Sebastian have that covered."

"Zack, I thought you SOLDIERS were sent away on a top priority mission," Tseng commented as he dodged around an attack and fired at his assailant.

"We were, but we managed to get back in time to see you Turks threw a party without us," the SOLDIER laughed. The older Turk could distinctly hear the sound of thudding boots on the stairwell. "I found where you're throwing it though so I'll be there in a sec to help out."

"No, Zack, we have everything under control down here," Tseng said quickly. "The swarming monsters are the higher priority right now. Let us finish our job."

"Like I said, Kunsel and Sebastian can take care of it," he replied confidently. "See you in a bit!"

As the connection clicked off, Tseng gave an exasperated sigh. Sometimes the overconfidence of the members in SOLDIER was astounding. Even if Zack was more than a decent fighter, it would do him no good against an invisible enemy. Still, he couldn't worry about that now. He needed to focus and stay aware of his own surroundings as well as that of his comrades. Reno and Rude had already managed to deactivate half of the bombs. However, there were still plenty of enemies around them.

He managed to catch the strained shout of one of the Wutains yelling for his comrades to run. Believing him to be one of the invisible foes, he took aim based on where he'd heard the voice and fired. There was a shout of pain followed by the clatter of an object falling to the concrete floor. He'd hit his mark, but it probably wasn't a killing blow.

By this time, the remainder of enemies must have realized that it was either pointless or took their comrade's words to heart as they started heading for the one exit. "Haruto, Cissnei, don't let any of them escape," he ordered quickly. There were no verbal replies, but he could see them pick up their pace to attempt to keep them inside the room.

Several feet ahead of the group of fleeing Wutains, the door flew open as one of the enemies tried to leave only to be thrown back in by a kick from the second class SOLDIER. "Woah, looks like I got here just in time," he chuckled lightly.

Tseng was about to warn Zack about the invisible enemies, but the dark haired teen got straight to it, slashing with his sword. The Wutain was nothing short of amazed. He could see them too. "Haruto, Cissnei, go ahead and pull back. I believe our newcomer can take things from here."

"You are certain?" Haruto inquired.

"Yes, he can see them just fine. Go and inform the commander of everything you've witnessed here."

The two complied with Tseng's command, and like the experts they were, they were gone and out of sight in moments.

It didn't take long to subdue the remainder of the Wutain forces or disarm the bombs once Zack arrived. He made quick work of the invisible foes while Tseng focused on the ones that were visible. With the lack of interference, Reno and Rude finished disarming the bombs and turned to look at the other two triumphantly.

"Crisis averted," Reno exclaimed with a grin. "Guess this means the squirt deserves one heck of a medal after all this."

Rude shook his head in disapproval, though he did agree the young Turk did deserve a reward of some sort for her efforts.

"What are you talking about, Reno?" Zack asked as he fixed the red head with a confused look.

"She's the one who learned about all this just in time for us to stop it," Reno said, looking so smug with himself. "To think, my very first candidate saved the day."

Tseng smacked the red head upside the head to shut him up. "You write about it in your report."

The red head scowled, readjusting the goggles on his head. "Geez, we just saved the day. Quit bein' such a hardass."

The second in command ignored him, turning back to Zack. "I suppose I should thank you for your assistance."

"Aw, you don't have to…" Zack began.

"But, since I did not request it, I won't," Tseng finished before walking by him. While none of the others saw it, he was pleased by the outcome of the battle.

"Well sorry for stepping on your toes," Zack grumbled lightly. "It's not my fault you guys seemed like you were having problems. I still don't see how though, they weren't that tough."

"It's cause no one could see some of them," Reno answered patting the SOLDIER on the back. "You and I were the only ones who could...but it seemed like you could see them better."

"You couldn't?" he asked surprised. "Huh...I guess that would do it. How could you not see them though, they were kind of in plain sight."

It was indeed curious, thought Tseng. Reno and Zack could both see them, though the former not as well. According to Rude, Victoria had vanished but Aven still continued trailing her, meaning she could see her just fine. What was the connection? It quickly dawned on him.

Mako. Zack, being a part of SOLDIER, had it, as did Aven, though her reasons were still unknown. Reno had been exposed to it at one point, though not nearly as acutely. This was just a theory of course, but it was the best working he had thus far.

Tseng turned to the young 2nd class SOLDIER. "Zack, you can leave. We'll clean up here."

"Suit yourself," he replied with a shrug. "Hey, where is Aven? It's been a while since I've seen her."

"And it'll be even longer," Rude told him.

"She's on the hot seat right now," Reno explained. "No visitors allowed."

"Huh?" Zack appeared even more confused. "Didn't you JUST say she was a big help?"

"Yeah, but she did it while under house arrest," Reno answered shaking his head. "Anyway, you should quit worrying. You'll see her if and when you see her. You go lookin' for her and you'll be joinin' her in the hot seat."

Zack was about to ask what happened, but the look he got from the three Turks told him he should quit while he was ahead. He shrugged in defeat and quickly made his exit while the others went about gathering up the bodies. Those that were still alive were tied up and all the materia they had was found and confiscated.

When they were finished Rude took a look around noticing something wrong. "We're missing someone," he stated slowly.

* * *

CM: And guess who that someone is? Well, at least the big threat is over. Or is it?


	26. Last Mission

**Chapter 26: Last Mission**

The five Turks walked slowly back to the TK, each with varying degrees of fatigue and injury. Reno and Rude just wanted some food and a nice cold beer before getting some rest. Haruto and Cissnei wished to collapse on the soft couch for awhile and recover, while Tseng wanted to finish his work before finally allowing himself to relax; this meant dealing with Aven once more.

As the group stepped into the TK, all lost in their own thoughts, a shout startled them into looking up at the table in the center of the room.

"HA try to refute that! Royal Flush, baby, I win," Aven shouted having jumped to her feet in her joy. Across from her sat Tryg who just silently threw his hand onto the table in frustration before looking up at the group that just entered.

Aven noticed Tryg's redirected attention and turned around. Her face fell upon seeing the group of Turks who were looking a tad worse for where. "Are you all okay?"

Reno walked passed the others towards her, his clothes looking more rumpled than usual and his white shirt was damp with sweat. Aven was tempted to take a step back, expecting some sort of smack on the head or verbal reprimand. What she got couldn't have been farther from it.

The red head's face split into a large grin and his hand clapped down hard on her shoulder. "Better than okay, you little… come here you!" He grabbed her head and planted a large kiss on her head. "You may be an idiot, but you did me proud, squirt."

The girl flushed, blinking in confusion, not understanding why Reno was so happy when only hours before he was yelling at her over the phone.

She turned slightly to look at Rude who was sporting a small bruise on his temple and a few cracks on his shades. He shook his head signaling to her not to worry about it and she saw his lips quirk up in the smallest grin.

"What's all this?" Tryg asked voicing Aven's confusion. "I thought the half-pint was in trouble."

"She still is," Tseng answered leveling his gaze at her. She shrunk back ever so slightly at the look before noticing that it wasn't quite as...angry as it had been before.

"Yes, though we do seem to owe you now," Haruto added glancing in amusement at Tseng.

"We're all proud of you, Aven," Cissnei finished off.

"W-what? Why?" Aven finally managed to get out as she looked between all five of the disheveled Turks. "What did I do?"

"You not only got yourself cleared for poisoning old man Shinra, but you also managed to catch the enemy talking about their plans for a take over. In other words…" Reno hooked an arm around her shoulders and giving her a tight squeeze. "You helped save the company, squirt."

"I… did?" Aven's head was spinning a little at the revelation. She'd only wanted to get her name cleared. She hadn't expected… well, this.

Tryg and Estelle also looked amazed, disbelieving, and maybe even a little impressed.

"A shame the ring leader got away," Haruto murmured, cleaning his glasses on his jacket sleeve.

"What do you mean?" Aven asked in confusion.

"He means Victoria took off during the fracous. She's the only one though," Reno answered letting her go.

"So, she's still out there?" Aven asked as the nervous feeling returned. She really didn't like the idea of the one who framed her still roaming free.

"Eh, don't worry, squirt, unless she saw your face she has no way of knowing you're the one who screwed up their entire plan," Reno reassured her.

"She has nowhere to go. We'll find her," Rude added.

"Right...so what's going to happen with me now?" she asked worriedly. A part of her really didn't want to know, but not knowing was even worse.

"For now, you're on probation," Tseng told her. "Once I report to the commander, he'll decide what to do with you."

Aven swallowed nervously and nodded her understanding. "Well...I guess while you're reporting in I can help get everyone healed up," she stated slipping a cure materia out of her pocket. "That bruise looks really bad, Rude."

He shook his head as Reno took the materia out of her hands, which she struggled to fight against. "We'll be just fine, there's no need for you to worry," Haruto assured her with a smile.

The arm that was linked around her constricted around her neck and she almost gagged. "In the meantime, squirt, I think a little education is in order," Reno said and began dragging her, out the door.

She struggled against the hold as he dragged her off. "Rude, help!" she called out stretching her hand out towards the bald Turk. He simply shook his head and turned towards one of the couches.

Reno laughed at this and dragged her all the way back to her room. He didn't release her though, even after getting her inside. Instead he shoved her to the ground on her stomach, grabbed one of her legs and pulled it towards her head over his own leg and pulled back on her chin.

Aven groaned under the submission hold, her hands reaching up, trying to hook her fingers under his hand and pry it off.

"What did I tell you when I left?" Reno asked, not letting up. "I believe my words were 'wait here'."

"I'm sorry," she gasped, still trying to pull his fingers loose.

"But did you wait?" He asked, letting go of her chin. "No, you didn't. Instead you ran off without a word." Reno grabbed both her arms, locking them with his and hooking his hands onto the back of her neck, holding her head down.

"Yes, it was stupid. I shouldn't have done it. I GET IT!" She exclaimed, trying to break free.

"You get it...good. Are you ever going to do this again?" he asked calmly, his smirk growing wider.

"No...I'll never do anything this stupid again!" she shouted as best as she could.

He seemed satisfied by her declaration as he released her arms and allowed her to stand again. "Ouch...was all that really necessary?" she asked rolling her aching shoulders. "I'm going to get it bad from Veld...shouldn't that have been enough?"

"Not a chance," he answered walking over and dropping onto her couch. "I wanted to let you know just how pissed I was to come back after going to get a bunch of stuff to cheer you up, and find you missing. No word, no warning and then you don't answer your phone when I call it. With everything going on why shouldn't I be?"

"I said I was sorry," she muttered sitting on the couch with him.

"If sorry cured everything, we wouldn't need Turks and Soldiers," Reno told her. "If Rude hadn't followed you, you could've died."

Aven stared down at her feet, gnawing at her lip. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't think you would let me go. Especially since you and her seemed so close."

Reno scratched the back of his head. "Not really… I could find anyone to make cakes with me. I can never find another first candidate to sponsor."

She blushed at this and looked in the opposite direction. "So...you said you got something to cheer me up," she murmured trying to change the subject. "Can I still have it? Since I did sort of save Shinra?"

Reno laughed and patted her hair. "Yeah, sure," he agreed. "Though it's only because you managed to bring all that info back."

* * *

It was early the next morning when Aven started making her way to the Commander's office. Her head was drooped over as she walked with slow steps, her legs feeling as if they were made of lead. The one person she feared upsetting the most had called her to his office with the verdict on what her punishment would be and she was not looking forward to the answer. No matter how many times she went through the scenario in her head she couldn't think of a single outcome that didn't result in termination; whether that be just being fired or actually killed. Still, a small part of her held onto the hope that since she saved the company they'd take it easy on her. Fat chance of that.

Eventually she made it to his door and swallowed the lump in her throat before knocking lightly on the door. The call came for her to enter and she felt it sounded more like her sentence already being cast. Slowly, as if she was walking herself to the gallows, she opened the door and stepped inside closing it behind her.

"You wished...to see me sir?" she asked softly finding it impossible to look directly at him.

"Yes, Aven. Have a seat," he said, gesturing to one of the chairs.

Aven did so, keeping her gaze lowered. She had never seen the inside of the commander's office before. It was larger than Tseng's, and far less lavish than she expected for someone of his standing. She had hoped if she ever did get called into Veld's office, it wouldn't be because she'd done something to get herself into trouble. She honestly couldn't say she was sorry for what she did though. Not when the outcome had outweighed the possible dangers. She sat silently, waiting for him to speak.

"I know you understand why I called you in," he began leaning casually in his seat. "So first, allow me to start by saying how proud of your accomplishments I am and how impressed I am that you were able to go so far on your own without having anyone besides Rude notice."

"Th-thank you, sir," she stuttered feeling torn as to how she was supposed to feel.

"Do you regret taking these actions yourself?" he asked her noticing her reaction.

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "No, sir. I did what I thought needed to be done knowing basically what I was doing to everyone else. Plus, I feel that the dangers were far less significant than the information I brought back."

"Yes, well, I've had much to consider these past several hours." His voice was level but it carried a serious edge. "While you did succeed in assisting us in a great effort, the methods you used to do so were the actions of a rogue. Had they failed, it would have made things considerably worse for Shinra. Thus, you can understand that I simply cannot allow your actions to go unpunished."

Aven nodded her head. "I understand, sir. I will… accept my punishment." She wondered what it would be… expulsion, or death? Even though her stomach churned with dread, she kept calm. She would not allow herself to fall apart in front of a man she regarded so highly.

"Good." He slowly got to his feet and approached her chair. "You will be taking part in a special training session first thing tomorrow. It'll take most of the day to finish. You will be moving through five different terrains attempting only to reach the next section."

Aven breathed a sigh of relief thinking she could handle this. As she did so, he cleared his throat meaning he wasn't finished.

"You will only be armed with your wit and a potion or two. You will not be permitted to use any materia or weapons."

"No...weapons?" she repeated feeling the nervousness return. "Uh...what will I be fighting? If you don't mind my asking."

"Your five superiors. Each one has their own special terrain picked out already. They will need until tomorrow to fully prepare. And yes, they will be using weapons and materia to keep you from reaching the next section."

Aven's heart sank a little at this. Just going one on one against any of them was a challenge, but going against all five, one after the other? "What happens if I succeed or fail?" He still hadn't said anything as to whether or not her position as a Turk was secured.

"That will depend on your performance," Veld told her. "Therefore, I suggest you take this very seriously. Rest up, and prepare for tomorrow as if it were you last mission."

His last sentence gave her little hope, but she bowed her head in understanding. "Yes, sir." Even if it did turn out to be her last mission, she would perform it to the fullest of her abilities, weapons or no weapons.

* * *

Tension was in the air as Aven stepped up to the door to the training simulator. She hadn't seen any of the others around since that morning and was sure they were waiting inside for her. Before coming up Estelle had offered her a few words of luck which made her feel a little better about it all. Still, this would be the first time she knowingly went into a fight with nothing more than a potion in her pocket.

She stood in front of the door waiting nervously before Veld's voice told her to enter over the intercom. It was time to start.

Slowly, the door before her opened and she stepped inside expecting the worse. She was surprised to find herself on a busy freeway above the city of Midgar. All around her cars were wizzing passed and she had to jump out of the way as one nearly hit her.

"Ready to start, squirt?" Reno asked her. She looked up finally noticing the red head standing confidently farther into the traffic than her. "Better pay attention to everything here or you'll die. Oh, and you'll only be able to move on to the next one if and only if you get passed me."

Aven glanced back to the door, only to find it gone, with a truck hurtling towards at what was probably 60 miles per hour. It honked at her as she once more jumped out of the way. Well, she was stuck. On a highway suspended what appeared to be hundreds of feet above any other viable surface, with two lanes of speeding traffic going in either direction. Not only that, she had to fight the speed demon of the Turks. Training nothing, this was full on torture.

Resigning herself to do whatever it took not to end up on someone's wind shield, Aven got her head in the game. She took a quick glance around to see what was coming from the front and behind before charging towards the red head. Reno was having no difficulties dodging around traffic. Heck, he appeared to be making a game out of it, waiting until the last possible second before moving out of the way.

Thinking that she could use the speeding vehicles to her advantage, she shot around the next large vehicle that ran passed her and did her best to keep hidden behind it. Based on what he said, all she had to do was get passed him. Unfortunately, him being the fastest of all the Turks, this wouldn't be the easiest feat.

As she neared his position ducking behind car after car, she was certain he hadn't noticed her movements through the rushing cars as he hadn't made a move towards her. Just before she slipped passed though, he suddenly vanished as a car swooped in between them and moments later he was directly in front of her. She skidded to a halt and moved to dive out of his way but stopped as she nearly got run over by another car.

Aven felt all of her muscles seize up as the business end of Reno's EMR prodded her in the gut. She stumbled backwards and had to roll to avoid the next car. "Like that'll keep me down," she muttered, quickly jumping back onto her feet.

"Not bad," Reno commented, casually twirling out of the way of a semi. "You're gonna have to do better if you wanna get past me though."

"Well then, you better keep your eyes on the prize," Aven told him, her eyes glowing with determination.

He chuckled a bit, flashing her the same devilish smirk he always got whenever they two of them went at it one on one. "Show me what you've learned, squirt."

Determined to show him how she'd grown, she took up a defensive stance using it to help her maneuver around the speeding cars. She took her time figuring out how he was moving, using it herself, and then attempting to shoot passed him. He wasn't about to let her pass that easily though. He blocked her advance with his EMR before throwing out a swift kick towards her legs to try and stop her in her tracks. She dodged around both and struck back with a kick of her own. She may not be allowed to use her weapons, but she was never told that she could only dodge and not fight back.

Things went back and forth between them for awhile as Reno refused to allow her to gain any sort of ground. But, a single kick of Aven's managed to get through the redhead's defense sending him reeling back and having to jump out of the way of another oncoming car. Aven took the opportunity to sprint towards the end that he'd been guarding.

"So it's going to be like that huh," Reno chuckled watching her run towards the next goal. "Looks like I'll actually have to pull that out this time."

Aven went full speed, while still taking care not to get hit from the front or behind. She knew that if she didn't hurry, Reno was going to be on her heels, if he wasn't already. Then she heard it; amongst the sound of blaring horns and the rush of air of the speeding vehicles, she could heard quick, running feet on the asphalt. She glanced to one side, but didn't see any sign of him. Then she checked her other side. Still nothing. Her heart hammered as she sensed the danger her eyes weren't picking up.

Then suddenly he was there in front of her, smirk in place. "Well, hello again," he said, pleasantly before jabbing his electrically charged rod forward.

Aven wasn't quick enough to dodge, so she improvised. Just before the rod made contact with her stomach, she managed to grab a tight hold of the handle with both hands.

She was able to slow it's movements toward her just enough to move passed the dangerous object. She felt his hands tighten and try to move towards her once more beneath her fingers. Making up her mind, she used his hands as a mount flipping herself over his arms before driving a single kick into his shoulder. Then she landed nearby just far enough away from him to have a car careen in between them.

He grabbed his pained shoulder feeling rather proud of her movements. This only lasted a moment, though, before he flew towards her once more. She saw him coming and threw her hands up ready to deflect whatever he threw at her, but then he suddenly vanished from sight.

She blinked several times trying to locate him. Then she felt his rod strike her heavily in the side sending her tumbling across the lanes of traffic and nearly over the edge.

Aven got back up, as quickly as she could, panting all the while. The multiple bursts of speed and the electric shocks were really starting to take their toll. Reno wasn't giving her an inch either. It really did seem like a 'succeed or die' mission. Just how was she supposed to get passed him? She glanced in the direction where she was supposed to go wondering how much farther that was. There was no marked finish line.

"What's the matter, squirt?" Reno asked, tapping his shoulder with his EMR. "Not giving up already, are ya?"

Never. Today was the day she was going to best him.

Her eyes focused in on him as she recovered from his last blow, the adrenaline rushing through her body allowing her to ignore the pain. Then she rushed forward once more. She had come to realize that the direct approach was the best, because the moment you lost sight of the redhead, that's when he became the most dangerous. Unfortunately, as he'd just demonstrated, even directly on he was able to disappear again. Like every invisible opponent you face, though, you just have to make sure to react at the last possible moment...and hope you're fast enough to counter it.

As she neared him, he once again vanished before her eyes. She didn't stop, however, she couldn't allow herself to do so. Instead she sped up running faster than she ever had. Then, she suddenly felt the hard smooth surface of the EMR come in contact with her side. Her reaction as instantaneous as she hit the top of it with her hand, knocking it just off track and spinning around its tip before latching onto the side of a passing truck and having it pull her farther away from. She had just enough time to register her success when the truck she was riding vanished and her momentum caused her to tumble forward, skidding to a halt several feet ahead of where it'd stopped.

Her only saving grace was her rough landing was cushioned by something soft… and cold. She sat up, finding herself no longer on a highway, but an open area filled with snow and ice.

"Congratulations on getting past the first area."

Aven turned her head to see Haruto waiting patiently on what appeased to be a frozen lake bed. He seemed very relaxed in spite of how cold it was. Aven stood up, hurriedly brushing the snow off of herself. The light gust in the air was enough to make her body wrack with shivers.

"Is the objective the same here?" She asked him, clenching and flexing her fingers to keep them from freezing.

"If you mean getting passed me to continue, yes," Haruto answered easily. He smiled warmly at her as he spoke.

Aven finished brushing off the snow shook out the cold from her fingers. "Alright, let's do it then," she said getting herself ready to move.

She'd sparred with him before, but she was certain he'd never gone all out around her. Fun. A part of her thought about pulling out her one potion to make the fight more even, but decided she'd better save it for later. She was sure she was going to need it. Haruto nodded his agreement as she started to move towards him through the snow. Then in an instant he shot forward as well drawing his sword as he went.

Aven was impressed by how well the swordsman was able to move along the ice. He wasn't as fast as Reno, however, and so she attempted to just move around him. The moment her feet left the snowy bank and hit the icy surface, her footing slipped. She had a brief moment of panic as she tried to regain her balance, all while Haruto continued to come at her. She saw the blade swing up to meet her, and ducked to the side. She slipped and landed on the ice, hearing it crack a little as she did so. The wind hit and she felt a stinging sensation on her cheek. She reached up to touch it and felt wetness. Sure enough when she looked, her fingers were smeared with small amounts of blood.

Aven glanced up to see Haruto had paused. He was staring at the tip of his sword which was dotted with red. Then, he brought it to his lips and licked the droplets of blood off, meeting her gaze as he did so.

"You bleed quite beautifully," he murmured softly.

Aven shivered, and not from the cold. This was a side of the swordsman she'd never seen before. It wasn't anything like the spirited glee of competition Reno often got. His normally gentle eyes now had a hungry quality to them.

"I wouldn't stay idle for too long out here," he warned, pointing his sword at her. "You're liable to freeze to death, and then my fun will disappear."

Aven swallowed hard at his words and managed to roll to her feet just barely dodging the next swing of his sword. She could feel the wind whipping passed her as she moved out of its way barely managing to return to her feet without slipping. Immediately she got him back in her sights so she could see when the next attack came and slip underneath the blade. The sound of tearing fabric met her ears, telling her that he'd nicked her clothing.

"You'll have to pick up your pace if you hope to continue living," he told her with that same hungry feel. "I do not wish for this to end too quickly."

Her eyes flickered over to the place where she'd seen him standing when she entered before returning to him. The two stared at each other for a moment longer before she pushed herself towards the exit.

* * *

"Damn that guy…" Reno watched the fight on the monitor in the viewing room while he munched from a bag of salt and pepper potato chips. "He's gonna scar the poor kid for life."

"It can't be helped," Cissnei commented from his right. "The orders were to go all out. Haru is taking it to heart."

The red head licked some salt from his fingers. "Yeah, sometimes I forget what a freak he becomes in battle. Not very often he gets real serious." He glanced over at Rude who was standing by the door pulling his gloves on. "Getting prepared already, big guy?"

"I'm next," he grunted in reply.

"Oh right," Reno acknowledged leaning back in his chair. "Having you coming directly after Glasses...that's pretty harsh even for our standards."

"Actually it's probably for the best," Cissnei pointed out. "You know how he is with her. Even if he doesn't try he'll probably end up going easy on her."

Rude shook his head catching their attention. "I'm not allowed," he told them seriously.

"Ooh...the squirt's going to have one heck of a night after this," Reno sighed popping another chip into his mouth.

"She'll be having problems...only if she can get passed Haruto," Tseng cut in silencing the rest. They all glanced back at the monitors just in time to see the swordsman catch Aven in the side with his blade. She stumbled a bit, blood dripping into the snow turning it red. "She may be finished here."

The quiet was broken by snickering. Tseng turned to Reno who wasn't even trying to hide his mirth. "Something you find amusing?"

"Yeah… the fact that even now you're underestimating her." The red head didn't look at Tseng, keeping his focus on his candidate. "She won't lose… because she's a Turk."

* * *

Aven took several sharp breaths as she worked to keep steady on her feet. Each inhale freezing the inside of her lungs, each exhale coming out in huge puffs of steam. Her fingers, ears, and face were on the verge of going numb. The wound on her side was mostly stemmed by the cold, but her constant movement wasn't helping matters and she could feel the damp spot where the blood had wetted her undershirt. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't made it very far. She was still close to the shore of the lake where she'd started.

"You disappoint me, Aven." Haruto shook his head in an almost melancholic manner. "I expected more from you."

"It's not over yet," she forced out on an exhale. It would be though, if she didn't think of something. She looked out at the lake. There were several cracks where she'd landed particularly hard. Just how frozen was it?

She suddenly got an idea, but the question was whether or not she could pull it off in the state she was in. Still, it was worth the shot. She slowly got shakily to her feet and dodged around the swordsman making it appear as if she was heading for the exit again. He of course chased after her and swung his sword just missing her as she slipped and landed heavily on her front.

He slashed downward at her as she rolled away, causing a large slice to appear in the ice. She tried to regain her footing but she no longer had the strength to do so and collapsed to the ground. He slashed at her again, and again she was barely able to roll out of the way.

They did this a few more times until it appeared as if she could no longer move. "It's high time you gave up," Haruto told her seriously. "That wound is deep and should be treated. You're only making your own situation worse."

"Like I said," she panted looking up at him. "I'm not quitting." Then with a thrust of her leg, she kicked the ice he was standing on as hard as she could. The slashes made in the ice all around them converged on the one spot and the ice shattered beneath him dropping him into the cold water.

Aven pushed herself into a sitting position while Haruto sunk chest deep into the icy water, saving himself by grabbing hold of the ice. His sword lay a couple feet away, dropped in order to keep himself from sinking in all the way. Still, it gave her ample time. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the potion, uncapping it and chugging it down. She felt her energy restored and was able to get back onto her feet.

Haruto stared up at her. "Well played."

Aven didn't answer. Resisting the urge to help him out, she nodded before turning and heading towards the goal.

* * *

"HAHA! YES! THAT'S MY GIRL!" Reno cheered, pumping his fist into the air. He turned to the other two. "Did you see that? Damn, I've been wanting to do that to him for years!"

Cissnei giggled a bit at the praise the red head was giving his candidate, but she couldn't blame him. What Aven had done was impressive after all. "She was really good," she said appreciatively. "I can't wait to try my hand."

"I know right?" Reno laughed again as he watched the swordsman slowly pull himself out of the freezing water. "I can have a copy of this when it's done right?"

"No," Tseng answered calmly. He honestly couldn't believe she was able to come up with a plan such as that and manage to implement it without alerting Haruto or passing out in the process. She was just chalk full of surprises. "This is a onetime viewing only."

"Ah come on, I wanted to show you that she can handle whatever you throw at her the next time you underestimate her skills," Reno chuckled. "It'd be fun to rub that in your face again, am I right Rude?"

He looked around and saw the back of the bald Turk as he exited the room. After seeing the plan she'd come up with to defeat Haruto Rude was feeling rather proud of her and smiled at the sight. Now, he was looking forward to how she'd get passed him.

* * *

CM: Wow, pretty crazy, huh? And she still has three more people to go! Once again thanks for reading and a special thanks to you reviewers. Your words of appreciation push us to write another day! :D


	27. Last Mission part 2

**Chapter 27: Last Mission part 2**

Aven was not prepared for what came next. After escaping her second opponent, the frozen wasteland disappeared. Snow and ice turned to metal. The frigid wind was replaced by a temperate breeze. The sound of sloshing water filled her ears. The surface she stood on rocked beneath her and she had to readjust her footing to keep steady. She looked around her and couldn't believe her eyes. She was on a boat with blue water stretching out on all sides as far as the eye can see.

"Looks like the middle of the ocean," she murmured to herself. Meaning it would be bad if she fell off. She had learned to swim pretty decently thanks to Rude, but she really wasn't up for practicing in a pool this huge.

The boat she was on wasn't small, but it wasn't large enough to keep her from feeling the swaying and rocking of the vessel as it passed over the water. She could feel her stomach beginning to get a little queasy from the constant movement.

She took a minute to shake off the feeling of illness before looking more closely at her surroundings. The ship she was on wasn't very big by ship standards and the deck she stood on didn't have a whole lot of room. Directly in front of her she could see windows signaling where the wheel house and captain's cabin would be. On either side of that were narrow paths leading towards the back portion of the ship.

As the ship gave another large dip in the waves, Aven felt the bottom of her stomach drop and she suddenly had the urge force every ounce of food out of her queasy belly.

"Shake it off," a deep voice told her calmly. She took a few deep breaths to calm it down before glancing up and seeing Rude standing in front of one of the narrow paths. "You'll need your strength to continue."

Aven nodded and got into a stance that would allow her to keep her balance on the unsteady surface as well as prepare to launch forward. She waited until the ship dipped again before pushing forward, charging as quick and fast as she could towards the bald Turk who readied himself. Her plan was to use speed to get around him. Trouble was, the path was quite narrow, and Rude took up about half of it with his large build.

As Aven drew close, she stepped right, then went left, then right again, doing a double fake out. Her brief moment of success was cut short when Rude's fist came towards her and she quickly retreated. His knuckles grazed her stomach, coming close to knocking her off balance. As she moved back, her heart pounded. She knew from the sound and the sample of the force she'd felt that if that hit had landed she would have been done. He really had been pulling his punches.

She quickly righted herself and prepared for her next attempt to bypass him. Just as she was preparing to rush forward, the ship rocked unnaturally beneath her further knocking her off balance. As it did so, she looked up to see Rude coming down on her, moving as if he had no issues with the continuously shifting surface.

She backpedaled to avoid his fist, but couldn't get away fast enough as it clipped her shoulder spinning her to the side as she moved, causing her to tumble to the side and roll across the floor.

Aven hissed in pain as she pushed herself back up to her feet using her other arm as the one that'd been hit was in a lot of pain. "Okay...so keeping my attention on the shifting ship would be a good idea. Ugh, but doing that just makes me feel sick."

Rude was giving her no time to catch her breath either. He was coming at her, and she was constantly having to dance out of the reach of his blows. She was forced to duck when he fired off a fire materia. There was very little room to dodge and she could feel the strong heat as the flames burst right beside her. The ship lurched again and she did a misstep. A moment later she felt the flames hit her dead on.

The blast knocked her clean off her feet and she could smell the material of her clothes being burned away. Yet, while she did feel the intense heat… it didn't feel unbearable. Heck, the rough landing on the metal deck had been more painful. She quickly pushed herself up, suddenly feeling invigorated and less ill. She wrote it off as an intense adrenaline rush. Her suit was burned in several places and she knew she'd need to get it replaced… if she managed to get through this in one piece anyway.

After the fire attack, she returned to her feet, her mind feeling clearer than it had been in awhile and began to assess her situation as she slipped around the next several blows from the larger Turk. Her movements were becoming easier to get just right as she learned the way the ship would shift.

After a short exchange of blows, that they both blocked or dodged around, she finally saw her way out and internally shouted at herself for not seeing it before. Her mind became slightly distracted by this realization and in an instant Rude caught her, full on with a punch to the solar plexus. The blow knocked her off her feet and into the railing that ran along the edge of the ship.

The pain was dizzying and she was thankful she had tightened her stomach at the last second, minimizing the damage the blow would have caused otherwise. A little trick Reno had taught her during their many training sessions. Aven forced her body to move to dodge roll Rude's next blow. As she was getting back up on her feet another fire attack knocked her into the wall. She felt her dizziness quickly fade away and the pain lessened significantly. She was too focused on the fight to even fully notice it.

When he next came at her, she was fully prepared for it and knew exactly what to do. She waited for him to close in, gauging the direction and timing of the shifts in the ship. Then she moved around his first few strikes and used the last one as a launch pad for her hands to help her fly over his arm. Here she ducked another punch without looking while leaping towards the central structure. Quick as a flash she scaled a portion of it and used the extra height it gave her to go right passed the bald Turk without fear of him being able to reach her. She had to pick up her speed though as Rude fired off a few more fireballs in her direction, which she managed to dodge. When she reached the other side of the ship, the scenery changed once more.

* * *

"Hey, is it just my imagination, or is the squirt getting better instead of worse?" Reno had abandoned his potato chips and was now enjoying a can of beer. Cissnei had already left the room to go meet Aven for the next challenge. "That was high grade materia he was hitting with. Even I have a hard time bouncing back from that."

"It's quite simple," Tseng remarked, snatching Reno's beer from his hand and tossing it in the trash. "Some people have higher resistance to magical attacks. While her physical defense and attacks rate lower than average, she compensates with her affinity for materia use." Of course Tseng knew it went far beyond that.

"Well I knew she could take a beating from materia that wasn't the problem," Reno scoffed picking his chips back up as his drink was taken. "I meant after taking on Glasses she should have been a lot more exhausted by now. At the very least that hit from Rude should have left her stumbling not sprinting."

"He has a point," another voice stated as Haruto walked into the room. It had taken him the entirety of Rude's fight to go back to his room and change out of his wet clothes and make it back to the viewing room. "Even with the potion she took, she should not be able to move so easily."

"Hey, Glasses," Reno greeted. "Have a nice swim?"

"Quite," Haruto responded, brushing off Reno 's attempt at a jab. "Truth be told, I wasn't expecting something like that from her. Not in the condition she was in." he glanced at the viewing screen. "What all did I miss?"

Reno briefly explained the fight between her and Rude. He ended it off with, "She seems in better shape than when the fight started."

The swordsman's face was that of bemusement. "How queer."

"It matters little how or why," Tseng interrupted, cutting through their thoughts. "This exercise has a very specific point. That is the only thing we should be focusing on."

"Oh, come on, you're not even just a little bit curious?" Reno asked him.

Tseng shook his head before turning to leave.

"Hey, where ya going?"

"I'm after Cissnei, remember?"

"Aha! So you admit, you think she'll make it past her," the red head stated in triumph.

"Considering her track record regarding this session, it wouldn't be out of the question that she'd be able to figure a way around Cissnei," Tseng replied shortly. "However, I do not hold much hope for this."

"Sure," Reno chuckled as Tseng disappeared through the door.

Once he was gone, Haruto turned to look at Reno with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think I went a bit far in my fight with Aven?"

"Oh, not at all," Reno said with a wave of his hand. "Slicing open a person and drinking their blood like a crazed vampire is totally normal."

"So in other words, yes." Haruto released a soft sigh, adjusting his glasses. "But our orders were to hold nothing back. It couldn't be helped."

"Aw, ya scared she won't wanna come anywhere near you after this?"

"Not scared, but it would be mildly disappointing. Unlike you she's enjoyable to be around."

"Right back atcha."

* * *

Aven had to blink several times when she entered the new area. It was really dark and she needed a bit of time for her eyes to adjust. During that time, she allowed her other senses to tell her where she was. The air was cool and damp, the scent of damp earth filled her nostrils and she could hear the soft dripping of water from the ceiling.

"A cave," she murmured under her breath. She smiled at the thought as she bent down and felt the cold damp ground. For the first time in months, she felt right at home.

By this time, her eyes had adjusted to the little light available and she took a quick look around. It was a very large cavern, the edges stretching out from all directions without any sense of an end. The only thing that broke up the open room were the many stalagmites and stalactites that were scattered all over the place.

"I'm really glad you made it this far, Aven."

As Cissnei's voice echoed around the chamber, the younger Turk gave another long glance around. The other female was no where in sight, possibly hiding behind one of the many rock formations.

"After everything you've done so far, I would have been a little put out if I didn't get the chance to test you."

Aven was flattered. She held a lot of respect for Cissnei since she was the only other female in the Turks. "So, same deal? I get past you to reach the goal line?"

"That's right," Cissnei answered. "Except in here, I think you'll find both parts to be trickier than before."

Moments later, there was a high pitched whizzing sound of something cutting through the air and headed in Aven's direction.

She started looking every which way for the item that was approaching, only managing to spot it just before impact. It was enough time for her to move out of the way, though the spinning blade did catch the sleeve of her jacket and her arm. She felt the fabric of her shirt stick to her arm from the blood that slipped out of her newest cut but she ignored it.

"Heh, I get it," she thought staying low to the ground to avoid being spotted by the other Turk. "Hidden attacks mixed with a near invisible exit. Just my kind of fight." As she stayed near the ground, Aven reached down and picked up a few small stones. Then, being sure to stay low, she threw them in a few different directions pausing after each toss for a minute or two. Occasionally she'd have to duck out of the way of an oncoming attack, but it seemed Cissnei was keeping it long ranged which made things a tad easier. When she was done, she got to her feet and stretched. "Alright, let's do this."

Aven waited until Cissnei's next attack, and after ducking under the chakram's spinning blades, she charged towards the exit, following a trail of mini stalagmites and cave popcorn. Halfway to the goal, Aven had to deviate when Cissnei's weapon came very close to catching her in the side. She ducked behind a particularly large stalagmite for a few heartbeats before continuing on, wanting to get through as quickly as possible. Yet seconds later she was forced to take cover again.

"I'll never get through at this rate," she grumbled to herself. Then suddenly she got an idea. While keeping cover, she stripped off her torn and burned jacket. "Well, not like I'm gonna be able to wear it after this anyway."

For several moments there was complete stillness as Aven did not move and she had covered her mouth and nose to stifle her breathing. She'd probably get only one chance at this and she needed her timing to be right. She also needed to know her opponent's position before they knew hers.

Then she heard it, the soft scuffing of the Shinra issued shoes on the damp earth. A smile spread across her face. Her opponent was to the left of her current position still moving forward which meant she was still out of sight. Perfect. She slowly moved her hand away from her mouth and gripped her jacket harder just as the telltale whirring sound of the spinning blades reached her ears.

She leapt to the side of the deadly weapon, only this time as it passed by she snapped the jacket at the weapon. The tip of it caught the edge of the weapon with just enough force to tilt it slightly more to one side. It wasn't much, and the effort left her jacket almost shredded, but it was enough to have the weapon embed itself into the wall instead of returning to its owner.

Not waiting to see what Cissnei did next, she sprinted towards the exit as fast as she could. The different rock formations only slowing her progress the smallest amount. Moments later, she'd reached the edge and once again the scenery changed around her.

Aven had to shut her eyes as the darkness of the cave was suddenly shattered by blinding sunshine. She held her arm up to shield her face and eased her eyes open. She was on a mountain, not any ordinary one either. The rocks had been cut and shaped into monolithic figures. Giant arms and hands made up parts of the mountain trail while giant faces looked out over what looked to be a bright and colorful city down below. A sparkling river wound through the settlement which was enclosed by a lush expanse of forest. It was positively one of the most breath taking sights she'd ever seen.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Aven did a quick turn to see Tseng standing on one of the hands, gazing out at the scenery with a fondness she'd never seen him wear before.

"What is this place?" she asked, keeping on guard just in case of a surprise attack.

"What you see before you is the city of Wutai, or at least, what it used to be. Where we stand currently is the Da Chao Mountain."

"This...is Wutai?" she repeated finding the sight to be absolutely breathtaking. "It's amazing. No wonder they're fighting so hard for their home. I just wish I understood why this fight started in the first place."

"It was a difference of views," Tseng explained looking away from the expansive view before him to see the younger Turk's expression. "One that could not be amended by words alone."

"That's really sad," she murmured softly. "I think I'd be proud to call a place this beautiful my home. I'll bet the war destroyed most of this."

"Indeed, and even after the war has reached its conclusion, Wutai will never regain its former glory." He took a few moments more to contemplate the scenery before him. Then he smoothed out his sleeves and straightened his tie before turning fully to face her. "Now, getting back on track, I believe we have an exercise to conclude."

Aven slowly nodded, her body tensing as she readied herself for whatever was about to come her way.

"The end of this trail is that platform there," he said pointing to one of hands of stone. "That is your goal."

The younger Turk looked over and swallowed. The trail was rather narrow and the fall was certain death. Plus, she had never really seen Tseng fight and thus did not know what to expect.

She watched him carefully to see if he was going to make a move, but still almost missed him starting when her eyes darted toward the trail. In an instant, he'd pulled out a handgun and fired. The bullet whizzed over her head as she ducked and rolled towards her destination. Then she quickly returned to her feet and sprinted for cover as he continued to fire off round after round.

The instant she managed to get behind a grouping of rocks, she felt the heat of a fire attack as it crashed against her cover. She took a moment to regain her breath from her sudden mad dash where a single thought flew through her mind. "He's actually trying to kill me." She didn't really believe he was, but as most of the bullets seemed to be aimed for her vitals, she had to wonder.

* * *

"Wow, Tseng's really not taking any prisoners."

The other Turks were in the viewing room. None of them seemed to want to leave and miss the grand finale. All of them were wondering the same thing; would she make it past Tseng? At this point, in spite of how well she'd been doing so far, even Reno was beginning to have his doubts.

"I think out of all of us, Tseng is the one taking this the most seriously," Haruto supplemented. "She may be in trouble."

"Yes, but did you really expect anything different from Tseng?" Cissnei asked lightly. She was a little irritated that Aven had gotten passed her as quickly as she had but even she felt sorry for the young Turk.

"He won't let her pass," Rude muttered slowly.

"Yeah, I know, but none of us really _let_ her pass," Reno argued munching on a second bag of chips nervously. "Really I'm only worried about him actually hitting her with those attacks. Something tells me those bullets aren't fake."

"Considering the chunks of rock they're taking off the mountain, I'd say you're right," Haruto agreed. He was also slightly worried, but she did bring it on herself.

All of them knew why Tseng was being so ruthless. Even if her intentions had been good, Aven had broken several rules and put a lot at risk. Not only that, but the nature of it had struck a very personal chord.

The door opened and everyone turned to see Veld walk in. "Ah, you're all still here. I take it the session has been going well?"

"She's already gotten passed each of us and is now currently fighting Tseng, sir," Cissnei reported.

"Impressive, I'm glad I made it in time to witness this." He moved closer to the monitor watching as Aven took cover from another flurry of bullets. "I know you won't enjoy hearing this Reno. The fact she managed to get passed all of you is nothing short of impressive, however the probability of her winning this round is virtually nonexistent."

"I know it seems hopeless but she'll think of some way to get passed," Reno grumbled in reply. It was clear he was trying to convince himself this as much as the others.

"She's strong and intuitive," Veld acknowledged. "But she won't get too much farther." He gestured to the monitors and the ones that were looking at him turned to see what he was motioning towards. "He's going to end it now."

* * *

Aven panted heavily as she squatted behind one of the structures. The warm summer sunshine didn't feel so fantastic anymore. She was dirty, sweaty, and exhausted. All the blood loss she'd experienced during the entirety of the training session was beginning to take a heavy toll. On another note, she was really starting to develop a supreme disliking of guns. How was she supposed to get passed him when she couldn't even get near him?

She squeaked as a bolt of lightning struck near her head, shattering the rock above her and showering her with dust and granite. She shielded herself until it was over, then prepared to launch from her hiding place.

"I guess it's all or nothing," she thought, anticipation and dread causing her heart to race uncomfortably.

As she ran out of her cover preparing to run to the next section as fast as possible, she quickly skidded to a halt as she came face to face with Tseng who kicked her square in the chest knocking her to the ground. She gasped from the impact and curled up instinctively to hold the injured area.

When she finally managed to move again, she sat up on her elbows and found the Wutain standing over her with his handgun pointed at her face. She looked up at the serious look on her boss' face.

"Heh...so I guess this means I lose?" she asked with a nervous chuckle.

He didn't respond or change the expression on his face at all. Aven's fear began to grow even more as she lay there unable to move. Then she watched in horror as his finger tightened over the trigger and she instinctively closed her eyes.

She heard the trigger pull, and her heart stopped. There was no following 'bang', however, but instead a hollow 'click'. It took a moment for her to realize there was no pain and her heart was still beating erratically. She allowed her eyes to ease open to see Tseng removing an empty clip from his gun.

"This exercise is over. End simulation."

The last two words caused the mountain they were on to disappear and Aven found herself lying on the cold metallic floor of the simulation room. The disappointment she felt was crushing. She had really believed she could do it. She'd gotten so far, but in the end she had failed.

Tseng put away his weapon before looking down at her. "On your feet, Aven."

The young girl complied, slowly getting her feet back underneath her, body aching as she did so. She wondered what the results of this would mean for her.

He didn't say anything as he gestured towards the camera. She didn't know what he was signaling but something pressed her to ask. "So, what now then?"

He turned to look at her but didn't answer. His lack of speaking really worried her. Then before she could work up enough courage to say anything else, the door opened and the others entered, with Commander Veld himself taking the lead.

Aven blinked several times in surprise before snapping to attention, ignoring the pain and shot through her sore body. "You can relax Aven," he told her gently. "Depending on what happens next, I may no longer be your boss."

At his words, her heart sank and she went as limp as she could and still remain standing. She glanced to the others to see any sign of hope and only managed to catch the red head's eye. He smiled encouragingly at her while they waited for the commander to speak once more.

"We are here, because Aven made an error in judgment, one that affected each of you. Therefore, you all have a very important decision to make," Veld addressed the five seniors. "Each of you has seen her in action. You all know by this point what her capabilities are, as well as her faults, her strengths and her weaknesses. I'll leave it up to you whether or not you feel she should stay with us."

"Well, I vote she stays," Reno said automatically following Veld's declaration.

Aven felt a flood of gratitude towards the red head. Even if he annoyed her most of the time, he's always supported her, and that meant a lot, especially now.

Veld nodded, eyes going to the bald headed Turk next to Reno. "Rude?"

Rude was silent only for a beat. "My vote is 'no'."

Aven's heart sank at this. She'd hoped that he would at least give her the opportunity, but then again, she reasoned, he always did seem to be iffy on her being there.

"Cissnei."

"No."

"Haruto."

Aven could feel all her confidence disappearing. She already had two votes against her. This meant that the last two people, who didn't seem all that impressed by her, were all that stood between her remaining a Turk and her dismissal.

"Honestly, this last go around really impressed me," he answered with a smile. "I say yes."

This definitely gave her spirits a much needed lift. Still… that only meant…

"It would seem we have a tie," Veld observed before looking over to Tseng. "What will it be, Tseng?"

* * *

CM: Oh, how evil am I to leave it off right there? This is probably one of the worst cliffhangers I've put in this story. So, stay tuned to see if Aven gets to stay in the Turks or if she is dishonorably discharged. Thank you for your ongoing support. :)


	28. The War is Over

**Chapter 28: The War is Over**

"It would seem we have a tie," Veld observed before looking over to Tseng. "What will it be, Tseng?"

As usual, the Wutain appeared completely unruffled in spite of the fact that all eyes in the room were on him and he was now ultimately the decision maker. Tseng looked to Aven, and she honestly could find nothing in their dark depths that would clue her into his decision.

"I will say this now," he murmured quietly, speaking only to her. "Ever since you came here, I've had doubts about you. Even now, I do not believe you will survive this job."

Aven could feel all her hopes plummeting but she kept it from physically showing.

Tseng took a long breath. "However, you have proven me wrong thus far, and I look forward to seeing you do so once again."

Aven's mouth fell open in surprise as she tried to wrap her mind around what was just said. After a moment, she seemed to understand as she grinned widely and suddenly wrapped her arms around the second in command. The hug only lasted a moment or two before she realized what she'd done and quickly stepped away.

"Sorry," she mumbled though her smile hadn't disappeared.

"There's no reason to be sorry, squirt," Reno shouted wrapping his arms around her head pulling her into a hug of his own. In her excitement she wrapped her arms around him as well as he quickly spun her around; her feet leaving the ground for a second or two.

When he finally released her she was giggling uncontrollably in her joy. "Congratulations," Haruto murmured softly. "I'm pleased that I'll be able to continue working with you."

Aven's smile widened and she stepped forward giving him a tight hug as well. "Thanks, Haru." She missed the momentary flicker of surprise on Haruto's face before he smiled and patted her lightly on the back.

"Wow, squirt. I didn't think you'd want to be anywhere near Glasses after your little tussle with him," Reno commented.

"Well, it was pretty scary," she admitted pulling away from the older man. "But Haru's still a really good guy, and that's all that matters to me."

Cissnei approached Aven and held a hand out to her. "No hard feelings?"

Aven took it without a thought. "Of course not. I know I still have a long ways to go."

She turned and came face to face with Rude, or more appropriately face to chest. "Well, I'm still going to be here," she murmured slowly. "Is that a bad thing?"

He patted her head lightly before answering. "You really should quit," he stated firmly. "I won't force you."

She smiled lightly at this and hugged him as well. "I know you're worried," she murmured softly so only he could hear. "But I'll prove you don't have to be anymore."

He sighed, but her statement did make him feel better. After that, she pulled away and turned to face everyone else. "Thank you for letting me have another chance," she murmured with a smile. "Quick question though...I don't have to start back as a rookie again right?"

A few chuckles went around the room. "No, Aven, you do not," said Veld. "As a matter of fact, I believe you're due for a promotion."

Her eyes widened. "A promotion, sir?"

"Yes, though I will ask you take care to refrain from such reckless action in the future."

Aven nodded. "Yes, sir. I will."

"Good, now you all have your duties," he said to the rest of them. "Aven, you may use the remainder of the day to rest. Just remember you're back on duty the next morning."

* * *

For the next month or so, Aven proved her word by going on successful mission after successful mission. Each one went off without any large problems as she kept the others informed on what she was doing and never again went after a perp on her own. By the end of October, she'd made up for all her past mistakes and was actually making even Rude proud of her accomplishments. At this time, as a way of rewarding the hard work of the Shinra employees, a special event was planned.

"C-could you repeat that sir?"

It was early morning when Aven was called into Tseng's office. When she arrived, she was surprised to see that Haruto, Rude, Reno, Tryg, Estelle and Cissnei were all present as well. Once she was there, Tseng started explaining that the long standing war against Wutai had ended in the Wutain's surrender and President Shinra had called Veld at 2 that morning to inform him of a party he suddenly decided to throw that very night to celebrate the glorious day. Tseng had then been called and ordered to get the others prepared for the night. Now Aven couldn't believe what Tseng was asking from all of them.

"Because this is a celebration thrown by the President himself, you will all be dressed accordingly and will not draw attention to yourselves unless a real threat is determined," Tseng repeated with a sigh.

"So, does that mean that we have to...wear really fancy clothes?" Aven asked knowing she had nothing that fit that description.

"Yes, the three of you will be wearing dresses," Tseng answered glancing between the three females. "And the rest of us will be wearing nice and proper suits." He emphasized the word 'proper' while looking directly at Reno. "Does anyone have a problem with this?"

Reno was about to raise his hand but Rude elbowed him in the ribs. The red head glared at him before letting his hand fall back down at his side.

"Very good," said Tseng when no one spoke up. "You are all dismissed."

They all filed one by one out of the office. Once out of earshot Aven turned to Cissnei in dismay. "I don't know how to dress for something like this! I don't think I've worn a dress in my whole life!"

"Don't worry about it," Cissnei assured her. "I've got a few dresses. If you'd like you can try some of them on and see if any of them fit. Estelle, do you think you'll need any help?"

The blonde female shook her head. "Thank you, but I have my own dresses. My family has regular family outings where we are required to dress up."

"Man, I hate these fancy shin-digs," Reno muttered to Rude. "Just another excuse for old man Shinra ta show the whole world how much space his damn ego can fill."

Rude grunted in response but that was it. The two of them had attended several of those parties before and he was sure that once they were at the party Reno would have a whole slew of other complaints lined up.

As if to make himself feel better, Reno went up behind the three chatting females and leaned onto Cissnei's and Aven's shoulders. "So, what are you gorgeous gals gonna be wearing?" he asked his normal smirk spreading across his face. "I'd kind of like a sneak peek if you're willing to give one."

Aven blushed profusely at the proximity not fully catching on to what he was suggesting. The other two did, however, and Cissnei shoved her elbow into his gut forcing him to back up. "I'd think you'd be more worried about what you'll be wearing," she replied easily. "After all, the last thing you wore to one of the President's parties got you throttled and forcefully made to change by Tseng."

"He can't even wear the uniform properly," Haruto commented while cleaning his glasses with a handkerchief. "How can you expect him to dress appropriately for a party?"

"Shouldn't you be heading off to shop for your dress, Haruto?" Reno asked the swordsman.

Tryg meanwhile, like Rude was staying silent. He wasn't looking forward to dressing up either but he wasn't about to bitch about it. He'd have to ask Rude later what the minimum was that Tseng found suitable.

Cissnei decided to take it upon herself to help Aven get dressed. "Let's go find you something nice for tonight. Though it's a shame your ears aren't pierced."

"W-why's that?" Aven asked, her hand moving unconsciously to her ears.

"Because you'd look cute with earrings," Cissnei explained leading the way to her room. Aven thought about the comment and started to wonder if she should.

When they reached her room, the pair went to the auburn's closet and glanced inside to where a few dresses were hanging up, all of different colors.

"They're, pretty," Aven murmured not sure how else to describe them.

"We'll need to find one that will go with your hair and skin tone," Cissnei said immediately going to work. She gave Aven a long look over before turning to her closet and pulling out a canary yellow dress. "Here, try this one."

Aven took it and used Cissnei's bathroom to change out of her uniform and into the dress. When she came out she asked, "How does this look?"

Cissnei stared her for a moment before shaking her head. "No… that's not going to work."

"Really?" Aven asked looking down at it. She thought it looked alright and it fit loosely enough to where she was comfortable. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's too light," Cissnei explained looking through her wardrobe once more. "It blends too well with your hair and bleaches out your skin tone."

Aven looked up at Cissnei in complete confusion. She'd never really paid much attention to what colors did what with her appearance. She always just wore what was comfortable or required.

"Hmm, how about this one," Cissnei suggested holding up a deep red colored gown that stretched from her neck down to her heels. There was a small area near the top that was open in a small hole down to the top of the wearer's chest.

Aven tried it on and again Cissnei shook her head saying it was too dark before pulling out another, then another, and finally a short light blue sleeveless dress that stretched just above her ankles. The top of the dress hung off of her size A/B chest and tied tightly in the back to keep it from falling.

"Perfect," Cissnei said with a nod of approval. She went and dug around a large box sitting on her dresser before pulling out a matching blue choker with a small diamond dangling off. Going back over to Aven she fixed it around her neck. "Alright, now that's taken care of, on to makeup and hair."

"Make up?" Aven asked. "Do I have to?"

"For an event like this, it'll look more appropriate," Cissnei told her. "And don't worry I won't do much. Just a little eye shadow and some lipstick."

Aven sighed but allowed the older female to steer her into the bathroom and sit her down on the toilet. She sat still while Cissnei did some things to her hair and then applied the makeup.

When everything was finished, Cissnei took a few steps back to observe her handy work and smiled. "You look great," she expressed getting her to stand and look in the mirror.

Aven glanced at her reflected image and blinked in surprise. She wouldn't have thought she was looking at herself if she didn't already know she was staring into a mirror. In her opinion, the entire ensemble made her look older, a lot older. She smiled as she realized dressed like that no one would be calling her a kid...and she kind of liked it.

"You really think it looks okay?" she asked turning one way and then another and taking in her appearance.

"Oh yes, I doubt most of the guys will think about it much but you'll definitely be turning some heads," Cissnei told her. "Now, come help me pick something out."

After some trial and error, they finally settled on the canary yellow dress. Even Aven, who knew nothing about dressing up, had to admit Cissnei looked much better in it than she had. After applying some makeup of her own and putting in a pair of pearl earrings, the two girls were prepped and ready.

"Alright, it's just about time," Cissnei stated glancing over at the clock on the wall. "We should probably head down to the lobby and wait for the others to show."

"You mean the party isn't going on here?" Aven asked in confusion.

The older female shook her head. "No, Shinra's way too secretive for that. The president usually rents out a building specifically to hold the party at. We'll be serving as escort for some of the higher company executives. Fingers crossed you don't get Scarlet."

Aven had to secretly agree with her sentiment as the two of them headed toward the elevator where they met Estelle also heading down. She nodded a greeting towards them as she turned in her long black dress. The style and color brought out her more mature and older appearance.

"You both look nice," she commented.

"So do you," Cissnei replied as they all stepped onto the elevator.

"Yeah, you look gorgeous," Aven added finding that pretty wouldn't cover it. "Better watch out, Reno might not be able to take his eyes off of you."

Estelle pursed her lips a bit at this. "I'm not sure what to make of that fellow. He's rather…"

"Shameless?" Cissnei offered.

"Obnoxious?" Aven piped up.

"Eccentric," Estelle at last settled on.

When the three of them stepped off the elevator, Aven was a bit surprised to see Tseng, Reno and Rude were already there. The three male Turks were waiting, all looking very dashing. They were all dressed in tuxedo cut suits, though each with its own unique design. Even Reno, Aven was forced to admit, looked rather handsome, his suit buttoned up, tie done to perfection, and hair combed down so that it wasn't sticking up all over the place. His goggles also were absent from atop his head.

"Wow, don't you all look dashing," Cissnei commented with a small laugh. Aven had to agree but after getting into trouble for voicing her opinion on Tseng's appearance before she wasn't too keen on doing it again.

"You look smokin'," Reno commented, trade mark smirk in place as he looked them all up and down. Rude shook his bald head, his suit making him look that much cooler with his sunglasses.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, Reno," Tseng ordered calmly. The last thing he needed was one of the females at the party filing a suit for sexual harassment.

"I do hope this isn't a sign of things to come." The group turned, Reno halfway through turning on Tseng, to see that Veld was approaching them with Tryg and Haruto behind him.

"Good, you're all here," Veld said when they were all gathered. "Each executive with be taking a separate car to the place where the party is being held. You each will be riding with the executive until we've reached our destination."

Aven thought this a rather clever idea. If there was an attack, the executives wouldn't be all grouped together and thus wouldn't all be at risk.

"I'll be going with the president," Veld continued. "Rude, you'll be going with Heideggar."

Rude silently inclined his head in agreement.

"Tseng, you and Reno will be with Scarlet."

"Yes, sir."

"Aw hell… I mean, you got it, boss."

"Haruto and Estelle shall escort Palmer."

Both Turks replied with a synchronized. "Understood."

"Tryg and Cissnei, Reeve will be your charge."

Tryg grunted in answer while Cissnei smiled and nodded.

"And Aven," Veld said turning to look at her. "You'll be escorting Rufus."

"W-what?" she asked stunned. She'd been sure that the president's son would fall to Tseng's charge.

"Is there a problem?" he asked understanding her confusion.

"N-no sir," she replied quickly. She chewed nervously on her lip and glanced over at Cissnei who mouthed sorry to her.

"Good, now the executives will be arriving shortly," Veld stated calmly. "I would like you all to make sure that the vehicles you'll be travelling in are checked over thoroughly before then. We don't want any surprises." Everyone nodded their understanding though Reno looked bored by it. "Dismissed."

"Wow, didn't see that one coming," Cissnei said sidling up to Aven as they all made their way to the parking garage. "Usually Tseng is the one escorting Rufus. It makes me wonder if he specially requested you."

Aven wasn't sure why but she suddenly felt embarrassed and awkward towards this notion. "No, I don't think that's it," Aven said with a shake of her head. Yet she couldn't come up with a counter explanation. Instead she separated from Cissnei, going over to the vehicle which would be carrying Rufus and gave a very thorough inspection. Rude had taught her how to check for car bombs. Once she was sure there was nothing that was going to blow them sky high, she patiently stood next to the vehicle and waited for her charge to arrive.

In what seemed like no time, Aven spotted a line of executives heading for the parking lot. She watched with mild amusement as Palmer nervously greeted Haruto and Estelle before stepping into the vehicle and Scarlet making a few comments at Reno and Tseng before laughing lightly and stepping into the vehicle. Aven had to hold back a laugh when she saw Reno give the gag me motion once she was inside.

She smiled in Reeve's direction when he came to a stop at Tryg and Cissnei's vehicle. He nodded to both of his escorts and caught her eye giving her a brief smile before stepping inside. Then Heidegger greeted Rude with his breighing laugh making Rude twitch the slightest bit as they too entered the vehicle.

Finally, the President and his son appeared escorted by Veld. When they reached the only other vehicle present Rufus nodded to Veld and headed in Aven's direction as his father and Veld stepped into the limousine.

"Good evening, Rufus," she greeted quickly remembering his request.

Aven noticed Rufus didn't look terribly different from the way she'd last seen him. His white suit perfectly clean and pressed and his blonde hair was styled with not a single strand out of place. It rang clear to her just how much he valued appearances and the way others viewed him.

His blue eyes silently took her in for a moment before inclining his head in answer. "Good evening, Aven. You look rather presentable."

"Er, thank you." 'I think?'

The limo driver came around and opened the door for Rufus. While the young Shinra got in on his side, Aven went around and hopped in at the other. She still couldn't shake off the foreign feeling of being in a dress and she tugged at the skirt in order to make it situate more comfortably.

"Nervous?" he asked noticing her fidgeting as the car started forward.

"Not really," she answered easily as she tugged on the skirt again. "I'm just not used to dressing up."

"If you keep fidgeting, you'll make that obvious," Rufus told her simply while staring out the window.

"Right," Aven muttered stopping her fidgeting and looking up at him. "But you know, other than feeling embarrassed at being seen as a country bumpkin or something like that there's really no point in trying to hide it. I am who I am and it's not gonna change." He humphed at her comment and she pressed forward with what she was trying to get at. "And you shouldn't let it change who you are either."

"And who do you think I am, exactly?" Rufus inquired looking over at her. The expression he bore was scrutinous.

Most people would have taken this as a loaded question, but Aven sparred no time in answering. "I think you're a pretty okay guy. Not exactly what I'd call nice but… you're not really bad either."

He gave a small cough that… might have been a laugh? "You're certainly not one to hold back, are you?"

"Well… you're the one who told me to treat you casually," Aven reminded with a small grin. "Just following orders, sir."

"Rufus," he murmured glancing down at her with the smallest hint of a smile.

"Right," Aven replied returning it.

After their little exchange, they fell into a comfortable silence lasting until they reached the building where the party was being held. When they arrived they found all the other executives were there. The pair slowly exited the vehicle and made their way to the stairs. At the top, Aven could see Tseng standing at the door and he nodded in her direction.

As they entered the main ballroom where the party was being held, Aven was shocked to see that everything was already in full swing and that the executives were the last to arrive. "Is it really okay for the President and his son to be late to their own party?" she whispered to Rufus as they made their way toward where the others were standing.

"Who do you think will question it?" Rufus asked in mild amusement.

"Okay, I'll give you that," Aven agreed. The place was huge and everyone was dressed to the nines as Reno would put it.

On one side of the ballroom was a bar area where people were sitting, chatting and smoking. On another side of the room was a huge buffet table that made Aven's mouth water up at the sight. There were people carrying trays of tall glasses with clear and red liquid. Instrumental music was playing amongst the chattering and there was an area where couples were dancing.

'Wow,' she thought taking it all in while at the same time feeling so incredibly out of place.

"Heh, don't forget to keep an eye on your charge, squirt," Reno laughed coming up behind her. He had noticed her look of awe at the place and was now poking at her.

"I haven't forgotten," Aven shot back knowing exactly where Rufus was. In the center of a gaggle of finely dressed women. "I don't think he'll be going anywhere for awhile. What about you? Shouldn't you be watching Scarlet?"

"Glancing at her now and again, yeah," Reno answered with a shrug. "But there's no way I'm watching that," Reno answered with a shrug. "Besides even if I lose sight of her Tseng won't so there's no big deal."

"You're hopeless," Aven mumbled shaking her head.

"Yeah, but hey, ya gotta admit I clean up nice don't I?"

She couldn't help but give him another look over. He just looked so different from what she was used to. While she had to admit he did look very nice, it just…

"It's not you," she told him at length.

Reno chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I feel like such a tightass just walking around in this thing."

"How'd you even manage to get your hair like that?" Aven asked while giving a quick glance to Rufus to make sure he hadn't gone anywhere.

"Tseng's famous hair cement," Reno told her, reaching up and patting his own hair. "Can't get the stuff to sit still otherwise."

Aven giggled a bit at that. She hadn't expected her tight laced superior to need something like that. "Wow, I didn't know Tseng used hair gel," she muttered to herself. "I honestly thought he just scared it straight."

Reno burst out laughing at the comment and Aven tried to hush him as people around them started to stare. "I never thought I'd hear you bash Tseng but oh man that was good," he chuckled getting a hold of himself and ignoring the on lookers. "Mind if I tell him that one? He'll probably get a kick out of it."

"You do and you'll find a touch me frog in your Choco-coco's tomorrow." Aven threatened.

Reno smirked and it was hard to tell whether he would call her bluff or not. "But damn, you actually have a figure going on there. Who'd have thunk?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Aven said looking down at herself.

"Well, when I first met you, you were this scrawny little thing," Reno said putting both hands parallel and drawing them straight down. "But I guess the breast fairy finally paid you a visit. Good for you."

Aven punched him in the arm for the comment as her face went red. "It doesn't exist," she muttered turning away from him. "And besides I've always been a year or two behind everyone else my age."

Reno continued to laugh at her as she marched off towards the buffet table to get herself a drink. As she walked over to it, she decided then and there that one day soon she'd go dress shopping to pick one out that wasn't so revealing...maybe then Reno would shut his trap.

In the meantime Reno went to the bar where he noticed Rude and Haruto were standing. Palmer and Heidegger apparently stopped to get themselves a few drinks and were chatting up a storm.

"So, enjoying the party guys?" he asked glancing around to see if Tseng was within eyeshot before attempting to grab a drink himself.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on someone?" Haruto chastised.

"I am, but I'm not gonna deny myself a little pleasure."

Aven meanwhile was lingering nearby Rufus, while at the same time ensuring it wasn't obvious she was keeping an eye on him. It wasn't that hard since there were lots of people just standing around enjoying drinks and chatting. She really couldn't understand how people managed to live like this though… and they probably did stuff like this all the time.

"Shit, I can't stand this."

Aven turned to see Tryg standing next to one of the marble pillars, looking severely uncomfortable with his dress shirt completely buttoned up and sporting a tie. He was tugging at the thing like it was a snake constricting his throat.

Aven sidled up to him while keeping Rufus in her line of vision. "I take it you're not a fan of ties?"

"What was your first clue?" he muttered.

"Mmm," she hummed, not sure what to say. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'd trade outfits with you any day."

Tryg gave her an odd look, then he gave her a look over. "Did you get bigger?"

She blushed heavily at the question and tried to brush it off. "M-maybe a little," she muttered. "I didn't really take notice."

He shook his head. Looked like she was still as shy as when he'd met her before. "I think it fits better," he commented while keeping his eye on his charge. He glanced down at her confused expression and sighed. "Better than the suit and that slip."

"...thanks," she replied blushing again. "I'd still rather where the suit though."

"How come?" He didn't really care one way or the other, but he found conversing drew his attention away from the irritating tie.

"Well, I'm not used to wearing the dress and I prefer wearing pants," she told him honestly. "The tie did take some getting used to though."

"There won't be any getting used to it for me." He said this very rigidly and her attention was momentarily drawn from Rufus to him.

Aven pressed her lips together and for a few minutes she stood silently beside him, rocking backwards and forwards on her heels.

"You really don't fit this scene," he commented suddenly.

She smirked at him. "Better than you."

Tryg snorted. "Touche."

After another silent pause, Aven turned to him. "Dance with me?"

Tryg looked at her, his expression indiscernible. "Why?"

Well, it wasn't a flat out rejection. "Well, if I had to be honest, I'd say it's because out of all the other members, you'd probably be the easiest to convince."

One of his thick, dark eyebrows lifted. "How do you figure?"

"I guess it's cuz you seem like the type who prefers to take the path that's the least of a hassle. And you know it'd be easier to humor me with one dance than have me bug you about it for the rest of the night."

He chuckled lightly for the first time, and she found she quite enjoyed it. "Alright, but just one," he sighed shaking his head. "And no bringing it up later."

"Hehe, deal," she agreed with a wide smile.

Then she nervously and excitedly took his hand and led him onto the dance floor. The gesture seemed to him one a child would do with their parent or older sibling. "Heh, still a kid," he thought as she paused and turned back to him.

"So...do you know how to dance?" she asked nervously. "I've never actually...danced before."

"And you're asking me?" He shook his head incredulously. He was born and raised in the slums, how the hell would he know? "Well, it doesn't look that complicated." he noted watching some of the other couple's dance. He got them situated, placing her left hand on his shoulder while he placed his on her waist. Then he grasped her other hand in his and began to pull her along with him. "Just watch what I'm doing and follow my lead."

Aven nodded, and then proceeded to fall in step with him. It took a little while but she eventually was able to move with him without breaking stride. They certainly weren't as elegant as the other's but she didn't really care about that. She realized then she was having a lot of fun. It was her first time dancing at something like this with another guy and that itself was something to be excited about.

When the song ended, she stepped away gave him a small smile. "Thanks, that was fun," she murmured. "For not having done this before you're really good."

"That was a horrible attempt, and I won't be doing it again," he stated firmly. She frowned at this and he looked down at her as the people around them began dancing again. "What? You got your dance."

"Nothing, I was just thinking that you probably won't be able to live up to that statement," she told him before smiling widely and walking away.

He sighed as he left the dance floor. That kid really grated on his nerves...and her last statement really made him wonder what was on her mind.

Aven saw that Rufus was still safe and still fairly preoccupied. In fact, both he and his father were together talking to a group of older and important looking people. Veld was close by so she knew she had zero to worry about, but still kept her eyes peeled. Even so, she felt if she were going to blend in she should have some fun while she was there. She may not be familiar with the customs, but she could learn.

She spotted Rude, Haruto and Reno all lingering near the bar area and decided to go visit them since they weren't too far away.

"Hi," she greeted smilingly.

"Aven, you're positively glowing," Haruto commented with a smile of his own. "Did something good happen?"

"Yeah, she's been gettin' friendly with the new guy," Reno commented with a snicker.

Aven shot a glare his way, but beyond that chose to ignore him. "Um, Haru… if it's not too much trouble..." she felt a little more awkward asking him since he was much older than Tryg and also her senior.

He immediately caught on to what she was getting at. "I would be delighted," he said with a small bow.

Her face lit up in a grin. "Great! Rude, you're next, okay?"

The bald Turk exchanged looks with the redhead as the swordsman graciously offered his arm to Aven and escorted her onto the dance floor. "Don't look at me, man, I ain't gotta clue," Reno stated returning to his drink. "I doubt she'll take no for an answer though."

Rude had to agree with that assessment and decided to simply go with it. It was probably her first party and he was sure she was just excited to try something new.

On the dance floor, Haruto was getting Aven into the correct position before leading her to the music. "Wow, you're really good at this," Aven commented after a few moments. "Have you done this often?"

"The president enjoys his parties," Haruto answered. "I've simply been around for enough of them."

He gave her a delicate twirl and his guidance was so superb she was able to follow through without tripping over herself. "So how long have you been in the Turks?" she asked once she was repositioned in his arms.

"More than I'd care to admit at the present." His response was vague as his smile took on a more mysterious edge to it. "Suffice to say I've been around for a long while."

"Longer than Reno and Rude?" she pressed tentatively.

"Much longer." Suddenly he dipped her and Aven had a momentary loss of breath as he suspended her over the floor. "And I'm looking forward to the many years that follow, when you blossom into a beautiful young woman."

Aven's face flushed at the comment and she found she was unable to say anything more. She stayed silent for the remainder of the dance as he twirled, dipped and guided her around the floor. When it was over, he bowed to her before escorting her back to the bar where Reno and Rude were waiting.

"Awe, you guys shouldn't have stopped," Reno chuckled. "You looked like a real couple."

"Sh-shut up," Aven stuttered, her face turning red. It's not that she didn't like Haruto, but she couldn't really think of anyone she liked in that manner. She held more respect for him than anything.

"A wonderful idea," Haruto stated, returning to his post away from the red head. "I'll leave the young lady to you, Rude."

Rude turned to Aven who was looking at him hopefully. It was a kind of stare he was more than used to. A look that translated to: "you don't have to if you don't want to, I'll understand." After several moments he consented with a nod and rose to his feet. What was the harm in one dance? The fact the small girl was beside herself with joy made it not so much of a bother.

He resisted shooting a glare at his partner when he called out in a sing-song voice, "Have fun."

Rude was like Reno; he didn't care much for dancing, but he at least knew how. The difference in size made things a tad more awkward and his movements were stiffer than Tryg's or Haruto's, but Aven was enjoying herself just the same.

She began talking about how she'd never been to a big party and how it was fancier than she imagined. She also told him how out of place she felt but having the others there made her feel better. He didn't reply to anything she said but she didn't need him to.

When the song ended she gave him a tight hug to show her appreciation and then followed him back to the bar.

"Rude, buddy, I don't know what you did, but it must have been perfect to get a hug out of it," Reno teased when they returned. "Can I get one too?"

"Not a chance." Aven glanced around the room making sure her charge was still out of any immediate danger. She spotted Tseng by himself, lingering close by to Scarlet. "Reno, you're helping Tseng watch Scarlet, right?"

"Yeah…" he answered slowly, wondering what she was thinking. "Why?"

"I'm gonna go ask Tseng to dance, so you should keep an extra close watch."

Reno burst out laughing. "Oh, now that's something I'd like to see. You'd have better luck asking ME to dance."

Rude frowned at Reno's lack of decorum in such a place, but he didn't misunderstand why the red head found humor in it. Tseng wasn't the type to enjoy himself at parties like this. It was all about business, and his job to look after the charge. Nothing more.

The young female, however, wasn't deterred and she made her way across the room, sliding into place with the rest of the crowd. When she approached Tseng, he gave her an incline of his head in greeting.

"I trust things are going well on your end?" he asked.

Aven nodded. "Yes, sir. As Haru says, everything is just ducky." Her face fell into a small frown. "I'm pretty sure that means everything is terrific."

"Indeed," he affirmed with a quirk of his lips.

"So, sir, not to cross any lines, but I would very much like to dance with you." After asking three men already her shyness had been overridden at this point.

Tseng gave her an appraising look. "You do realize propriety demands that the lady wait to be asked by the males to dance."

Aven flushed a bit at this revelation but she pushed aside her humility. "Then I would humbly like to request that you ask me to dance… sir."

There were a few minutes of silence as Tseng continued to watch Scarlet. "I am busy and am unable to step away," he finally answered.

"It's a party though," Aven pointed out. "And, I already told Reno that he needed to watch Scarlet more so we could." After a moment of silence on his part she looked up at his rarely changing expression. He didn't reply for another few minutes and she was beginning to think Reno was right and maybe she should just go.

"I suppose there was the order to blend in as much as possible," he replied causing her to pause in her retreat. "One dance may do this well." He turned to look at her before gesturing towards the dance floor. "Would you care to join me?"

It was the hardest thing ever, in that moment, for Aven NOT to cheer and jump for joy. Heck, just keeping the stupidly large grin off her face was difficult. She pressed her lips tightly together, in what any stranger looking over would see as an expression of coyness, and gave a small nod. Tseng held out his hand to her and she placed it over his so he could properly escort her out onto the dance floor.

"I don't believe it," Reno murmured, his mouth hanging open in befuddlement. "She actually managed to talk him into it."

Rude glanced over to see their superior and their junior step onto the floor. There was no shyness on the girl's part as they gripped each other while Tseng had the expression that it was just business as usual.

The two could see that Aven tried to say a thing or two to him, but after several failed attempts to start up a conversation, she gave up and just allowed him to lead her across the dance floor.

"I never thought I'd see the day when that stick in the mud would cut loose," Reno commented. "I swear that kid must have some sort of secret weapon or something."

Rude shook his head before glancing over at Heidegger on the other end of the room.

Meanwhile, the song the two were dancing to had just ended and Tseng bowed respectfully murmuring a polite thank your for the dance. Aven said her own thank you in return as she attempted to match the curtsies she'd seen the other girls do. It was clumsy and she almost fell over, but she managed to do it and smiled at him.

"You seem to be having fun."

Aven turned around and her eyes widened in surprise. "Zack!" She supposed she shouldn't be surprised since this was a party to celebrate the end of the war and from what she understood the SOLDIER's played a huge part in that.

After giving Aven a quick reminder of her duties, Tseng excused himself leaving the two of them alone.

Zack gestured to her outfit. "You look really great."

"Thanks," she replied with a small blush. "So do you." The dark haired male was dressed in a 1st class SOLDIER outfit. "So, you made it to 1st class then. Congrats."

"Heh, thanks," he said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's actually really recent. I noticed you've grown too." She blushed at this wondering why everyone was bringing it up. "I mean it height," he clarified. "Maybe a little older too, but that may just be me."

"Oh, well I have gotten a little taller," she replied pleased that someone noticed something besides her chest. "Do you really think I look older?"

"Eh, just a smidgen, you still don't look 16 though," he answered with a laugh.

"Well...neither do you."

"I'm 17 now."

"Oh, sorry, when was your birthday?" she asked curiously. She wasn't really surprised to find out he was at least a little older than her.

"A little more than a week ago."

"I'll have to get you something then," she said decisively. After all, as far as she was concerned he was a friend. "What would you like?"

"Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. "It's not important."

"Of course is it," she told him seriously. "You only turn seventeen once."

He laughed a little. "Well, if I had to pick I'd say another date with you would be nice." Zack glanced over to where Rude and Reno were still sitting. "But, after last time, I'm thinking maybe that's not the smartest idea."

Her lips quirked into a smile. "Did Rude scare you that bad?"

"Well, let's just say he made sure I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice," Zack answered with a laugh.

"Right, Reno layed into me too," Aven giggled. "But you know, I think if it's just dinner they won't mind."

"If you're so certain then I'm all for it," he replied with a shrug. "It'll just have to wait for a bit though. Becoming a first class SOLDIER has dumped a lot on my plate."

"Right, I heard about the mass desertion," she murmured sadly. "Are Genesis and Angeal really gone?"

His face fell a little at that. "Yeah… but I'm not giving up. I'm gonna find Angeal and bring him back. Genesis too, if I have to."

Aven smiled, glad that he wasn't taking it too hard. She could definitely see how he had managed to make it to 1st class. "I think you will too."

"Thanks." He glanced around for a moment before looking back at her. "So, I don't suppose you could spare a dance for me?"

"Why, I would be delighted, good sir," Aven said, mimicking Haru's proper speech as she offered a curtsy.

She managed to do it without falling over herself, but still managed to make him laugh. Then he did his own awkward bow and took her hand. "Well, then shall we?" He took her hand and began to lead her in time to the music.

At the bar Reno had jut spotted the two as they began to dance and shook his head. "Looks like the guy's at it again," he told Rude. "Let's just hope he learned his lesson."

Rude glanced over and saw them as well. "She's fine. She has a job."

"Heh, I guess that's true. She won't be distracted enough to get into any trouble," the redhead agreed taking a drink of his beer.

The Turk girl and the SOLDIER boy enjoyed a few dances, laughing and talking. He asked her about the incident where she'd been in trouble and she explained what she thought to be the important parts. The entire time Aven did not forget her job, keeping Rufus in her sights at all times. The night continued on like that until at long last the guests began leaving. After about half the party was gone, the executives were guided to their cars by their escorts.

When Aven was in the car with the young Shinra, she asked him pleasantly, "Did you have a good time, Rufus?"

"Not nearly as much as you did, I'm sure," he replied with a faint smile.

She blushed a little, then said in her defense, "I was being attentive towards my duties. The whole point of appearing as if I was enjoying myself was to blend in."

"It was...and you did very well," he told her as a smile spread across his face. "I doubt anyone would have guessed you were a Turk there to protect me."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she told him with a smile. She was honestly feeling as if nothing could dampen her good mood. "It's the mark of a good Turk to blend in when desired isn't it?"

"Hmph, indeed." Rufus took a moment to address a small, blonde strand which had somehow managed to escape the perfect alignment of the rest. In a single movement he moved the hair back to the perfection he so seemed to cherish. "Perhaps next time you'll save a dance for me."

Aven stared at him in surprise. "Wouldn't that be deemed inappropriate, si… Rufus?"

He merely smiled confidently. "Again, who would question it? Besides, would it not make it seem even less obvious you were watching over me? And what better way to do so?"

Well, Aven had to admit what he said made sense. "Well, if you insist on it, then how can I possibly refuse?"

Rufus nodded in approval. "You know your place well."

"Well, I know enough not to tick off the boss and get myself fired," she replied with a smile.

"Still brutally honest," he thought returning the smile. "If I hadn't told her to treat me casually she'd probably never voice these opinions. I find it rather amusing."

"Just be sure not to lose your cool and proper appearance," she giggled. "I'd hate to see how the ladies would react if they saw the real you. Then again, they may like you regardless."

He humphed again in answer to her comment and the rest of the car ride continued in silence. Once they made it back to HQ Aven bid Rufus goodnight and he left with his father and the other executives. She hadn't realized it until then, but she was really tired. It had been a long, albeit fun night.

"Well done, all of you," Veld commended to his Turks once they had regrouped. "Your jobs are done. You may all go and rest now." They all saluted and began to disperse. "Aven, a moment."

The young girl halted, wondering nervously if she'd done something wrong. Maybe she'd blended in just a bit too well.

She turned to face her superior who waited until the others were gone. "The war is now over," he told her, his voice rather serious, but somewhat kind. "I feel it is now time to open this. I want you to do the honors." As he spoke, he pulled out a single envelope and handed it to her.

She looked at it curiously as she took it from him and read the front. There was a single sentence: "Do not open until the war is over."

Slowly she opened the envelope and took out a hand written note. It read:

_Veld, if you're reading this it means I didn't make it till the end to tell you myself. I'm afraid I've made a large promise to the little girl you saved years ago. Even if she isn't strong enough to make it right off the bat I want you to send someone to pick her up to become a member of the Turks. I know this is an odd request, but I did promise we'd give her the chance to prove herself. Oh and one more thing, when you see her again, tell her I said hi, and that I'm sorry I wasn't able to see her fulfill that dream. -Alistair._

As Aven read through the letter, she felt the emotions build up in her chest. By the time she'd gotten to his name, her vision had started to blur.

Veld placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "He would have been proud to have you with us. I know I am."

"Thank you, sir," she said softly, trying to save face by keeping her tears hidden.

When her superior left, she stayed there, wiping her eyes and read the letter over again. It had taken her a while, but she was here now.

"Hey, squirt, you okay?"

Aven turned to see Reno standing nearby with his hands in his pockets. She wondered how long he'd been standing there, and why he hadn't gone to bed with the others. His suit was unbuttoned, his tie was loosened, and his hair was steadily returning to the mess of spikes it usually was.

She resisted the urge to wipe her eyes as she answered. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just heard that an old friend is proud of me," she told him smiling up at him. He could easily see the beginnings of tears in the corners of her eyes despite her smile.

"Hey, how about we head to bed. Ya never know when you'll be called for your next mission." As he spoke, Reno put a hand on her shoulder and grinned at her not letting on that he knew how she really felt.

"Sounds good," she murmured staring at the floor to keep from losing herself.

Even as she said this, neither of them moved. Aven chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, wishing that she could see that Turk again. To show him how much his confidence meant to her. Right now though, all she had was Reno. "I guess you'll do," she murmured. Then before he could say or do anything she hugged him, burying her face in his shirt.

Reno stiffened at the unexpected show of affection. It's not like he really minded it, but he honestly wasn't sure how he should react. He looked around, making sure they were alone. Then he slowly reached up and patted her on her back. He couldn't push her away, so he would just wait until she was ready to let go.

It took awhile, but eventually she let him go and took a step back. "Sorry about that," she murmured smiling up at him for real this time. "I'm feeling much better. Thanks for letting me hug you."

"Eh, I didn't get a hug tonight so I thought I deserved at least one," he answered with a shrug. "Anyway, how about before sleep we get something to snack on...like maybe some Choco-coco's."

"Hehe, alright," she agreed slipping an arm in the crook of his. "But you have to use your own box."

* * *

CM: So we really didn't know how to break this chapter up, so we just decided to give you guys a special extra long chapter. Hope you enjoyed. :)


	29. Stowaway

**Chapter 29: Stowaway**

"Well that was a complete waste of time," a very irritated Tryg grumbled as he slid into the passenger side of the Shinra chopper. "There was no point in coming out here. That old rich bastard didn't know shit." The gunslinger and his companion, Rude, traveled to a rich merchant's manor in Mideel to see if he would be able to direct them to whoever it was trafficking Shinra grade weapons out of Midgar and Junon. The last bit of information they were able to collect led them to Mideel where it petered out into nothingness. Something that Mr. Laine was unable to fix.

Rude grunted in agreement as he slid into the pilot seat and began his checklist before lifting the chopper off the ground. It took him a little bit because he didn't fly very often though he was very capable of doing so. Reno normally would take over when he was around. As soon as he finished, he lifted them off the ground and pointed the nose back towards Midgar.

"I hate dealing with people like him who don't even know what's going on in their own markets," Tryg expressed after a short silence. He didn't normally talk very much, but after a terrible meeting like the one he'd just attended, he needed to vent.

He pulled out his packet of cigarettes, but before he could flip the lid open, he heard a grunt through his head set.

"Not in here."

Tryg let out a short noise of frustration but returned the cancer sticks into his jacket. He didn't really mind flying, but it sucked not being able to smoke. There was little else to do really.

About thirty minutes into the trip, there was a banging noise in the back followed by a pained curse. Tryg exchanged a serious glance with Rude and the bald Turk made a silent jerking motion with his head, a silent command to go and check it out. Tryg unbuckled and got up from his seat, fingering one of the guns at his hips. It looked like he might get to have some fun after all.

He carefully made his way to the back where he could see a closed hatch just above the back seats. In a swift motion, he pulled the hatch open and pointed his gun. From up front, Rude kept his eyes in front of him, though his attention was on the lack of sound from the back.

"Well?" he asked into the headset.

There was a muttered curse before he heard another series of banging, a few high pitched yelps and angry shouts before the other Turk answered. "We've got a stowaway. Should I just shoot her and chuck her out the door?"

Rude looked out the window to see nothing but ocean below them. It certainly would be easier to just kill the stowaway and toss them out. At least they wouldn't have to worry about witnesses. The fact that the other male said 'her' gave Rude pause.

"You can't do that!" the woman shouted loud enough for Rude to hear her. "I am Bianche Laine and I'm here to be a Turk. Just take me with you and I'll prove how good I am."

Rude frowned when he heard the name. It just so happened their stowaway was supposedly a relative of one of Shinra's top suppliers. Of course, this could be just a ruse. Even still, Rude didn't want to chance it.

"Well, Rude?" Tryg asked.

"Don't shoot just yet," Rude told him. He paused a moment, then added, "Just tie her up. We'll deal with it at HQ."

"Got it."

The next several minutes were filled with indignant, high pitch yelling and muttered cursing. After that it fell somewhat quiet and Tryg reappeared looking a bit disheveled but mildly satisfied.

Rude glanced over at the gunman who casually brushed his bangs from his face. "I gagged her. Hope you don't mind."

Rude shook his head in answer and a small smile tugged at his lips. He didn't mind people talking constantly, he was used to it thanks to Reno, but the silence that fell after the girl was gagged was so much nicer. He was pleased the gunslinger took care of the noise problem without any damage as doing otherwise may have resulted in the girl's father demanding to know why she was injured; if she was who she claimed.

"Call Tseng," the bald Turk ordered after a time of silence. "Tell him to get an interrogation room ready."

"Sure thing," the other replied with a smirk. After dealing directly with the girl in the back, he was all too pleased to know she wasn't going to get off so easily.

* * *

An entire building, an entire city, and you'd think there'd be something for a Turk to do. Well, normally that wouldn't be a problem. For someone like Aven, however, it was a difficult quest. She had a full day to herself, but was at a loss for what to do with it. She couldn't sit still or stay stuck on one thing for very long. Everyone else was off doing something else, she had finished her paperwork, she'd read a book, ran up and down the company stairs five times, and was now in search of a new way to entertain herself. Then it hit her. The one person whom she knew she could most likely count on to be around. In minutes she was at the door of Tseng's office knocking insistently.

"Tseng? Are you in?" No answer. She knocked again, waited, and still nothing. "Shucks… I thought a workaholic like Tseng never left his office. Why Tseng? You were the one person I could count on. Why have you abandoned me in my hour of need?"

There was the sound of a throat being clear behind her, and she spun around to see Tseng standing behind her looking mildly amused. "Are you looking for something?" he asked in his usual voice.

Aven's face reddened with embarrassment but she met him with a smile. "Hello, sir. I know this is going to sound strange but… Do you wanna hang out?"

Tseng motioned for her to move aside so he could get into his office. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline," he said as he unlocked the door to his office. "I have a full schedule today, so I won't be able to… 'hang out'."

"Well, I don't have anything to do and everyone else is busy," said Aven as she followed him into his office. "Couldn't I help with something? Or even just watch?"

Tseng stopped to look at her. "Are you so bored that you'd rather waste your free time watching me work?"

"I don't think it would be a waste, sir," Aven replied diffidently.

Not seeing the harm in it, Tseng caved and motioned for her to come in. She did so willingly and with a smile, taking refuge on the extra chair across the desk from his own. He watched her sparingly as he tried to focus on his paperwork, any move she made drawing his attention away from his duties.

She was making a squeaky noise through her mouth and teeth as she aimlessly looked around the room, studying it like any good Turk would do when entering new territory. It was little moments like these which convinced Tseng that perhaps he'd been wrong in his first assessment of her, and that she was born to be a Turk just like the rest of them.

Suddenly Tseng's phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?" He paused to listen and his brows furrowed slightly as he frowned. "Already? Yes, alright. I'll be there shortly." He shut the phone and pocketed it before standing up from his desk.

"What's up?" Aven asked curiously.

"I'm going to interrogate a young stowaway that Rude and Tryg picked up from their mission to Mideel," Tseng explained organizing a few items before striding past Aven towards the door. She followed him out the door. "She apparently claims to be the daughter of one of our top suppliers and desires to become a Turk."

"Wow, so I'm not the only one?" she asked curiously.

"While not a common occurrence, it certainly isn't rare," he answered vaguely. "However, this one bears scrutiny before any acceptance or denials are handed out."

"I get it...mind if I come along?" she asked hopefully. She'd never seen him conduct an interrogation before so it should be interesting.

Tseng thought about it, and he supposed it would be good for her to sit in on interrogations. He knew a day would come when she would have to conduct one herself. "If that is how you wish to spend your free time."

Aven grinned in response before following him out the door.

They traveled in silence, the younger Turk not entirely certain what she'd see when the interrogation got started but was looking forward to finding out. When they finally reached interrogation room 2, Tseng directed her to go into the viewing room while he stepped through the door where the stow away was waiting.

Aven did as directed and stepped into the viewing room finding Tryg and Rude were both waiting there. "Hey guys," she greeted cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" Tryg asked raising an eyebrow at her entrance.

"I was with Tseng when you called him," she answered with a shrug turning to look through the one way glass. "He said I could come along."

The girl inside the room was probably only a couples years older than she was. She had long, ash blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She was dressed in what appeared to be very expensive looking clothes. The girl had a rather indignant attitude going on as Tseng began to speak with her.

"So how was the trip?" Aven asked, half listening to what was going on in the other room.

"Other than having to deal with rich idiots and a dumb girl sneaking on board our chopper, fantastic," Tryg muttered from his corner.

"That bad huh?" she guessed based on his tone and the look he was giving the woman.

"Rich bastards are never easy to deal with," he answered staring through the glass. "And this one isn't any better, if she is who she says she is."

"Who is she?" Aven asked curiously.

"She says she's the daughter of one of our biggest suppliers," Rude explained without turning around.

"Huh, no kidding…"

Aven listened for a bit as Tseng pointed out to the girl that her actions thus far did not inspire much confidence as far as joining the Turks went. The girl then explained that she did what she had done because it was the only way to get away from her parents. Apparently they didn't agree with her ambitions on becoming a Turk.

"I don't get it," Aven said. "If she's rich, can't she do whatever she wants?"

"Upper class doesn't work that way, half pint," Tryg muttered. "People from families like that usually grow up to be corporation executives and things like that."

"Yeah...but isn't that a good thing?" she asked in confusion turning her attention away from the room before her.

"The children don't choose," Rude explained shortly.

"Exactly. Yeah the rich brats get pretty much everything they ask for, but when it comes to careers their parents plan the whole thing out themselves," Tryg explained when the younger Turk looked at the two with a blank expression.

"Really? That's pretty messed up," she muttered looking in on the girl with a different opinion of her. "So, this is pretty much her only chance to get out of that?"

"Yes," the bald Turk answered with a nod.

Aven felt then it made perfect sense why the girl did what she had done. If Aven was in the same situation, she probably would've done the very same thing. After a few more minutes Tseng left the girl alone and joined the rest of them in the viewing room.

"So what's the plan?" Aven asked.

Tseng didn't answer her directly, but instead turned to Rude. "Please escort Miss Laine to one of the holding cells. Come to my office afterwards. Tryg, you are free to go. Aven, come with me."

The three Turks nodded and each went about their orders. Aven followed Tseng back to his office where he made a few calls. In the next ten minutes all of the Turks, save for Tryg and Estelle, were standing in Tseng's office.

"So, what's up boss?" Reno asked leaning back in his chair in a bored fashion.

"We have a small problem that needs to be dealt with," Tseng explained easily. "Miss Laine has made sure to appear here in the hopes of becoming a Turk. Now Commander Veld is willing to allow her the chance to prove herself. However, before she can do so, she needs a sponsor."

"What happens if she doesn't get a sponsor?" Aven asked nervously.

"Then she's out of luck and will be sent away," Haruto answered placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He understood what she was worried about and why.

"Precisely. However, I will not be forcing this on any of you," Tseng told them, looking each Turk in the eye. Reno leaned forward in his seat awaiting what would be said next, Rude folded his arms across his chest, Haruto adjusted a small wrinkle on his jacket, Cissnei shifted slightly in her seat and Aven simply looked around at everyone nervously before meeting Tseng's eye once more. "Now, is there anyone here who wishes to be Miss Laine's sponsor?"

No one, absolutely no one said a word. It was almost comical how quiet it got and Aven half expected crickets to start chirping. She could understand why Reno, Rude and even Tseng wouldn't want to. They each already had someone they were sponsoring. She could only guess why Haruto and Cissnei weren't even considering it.

At last when it looked as though Tseng was going to decide no one was up for the job and turn the girl away, Aven raised her hand. "I'll do it." She could practically hear all eyes in the room shifting to look at her.

"You do carry the rank of Leader, so you are more than entitled to be a sponsor," Tseng acknowledged. "However, I want you to understand that by agreeing to this, you will be responsible for her. Her performance will reflect directly upon you."

"I understand," she answered slowly. "I'll do my best to get her up to Turk standards. I just really don't want to see her get turned away after all her effort."

"She snuck onto a chopper," Reno exclaimed. "How's that putting in effort?"

"Well, it had to take some skill to manage getting onto the chopper without either Rude or Tryg noticing,"

"She hopped on before we did," Rude answered giving off an air of irritation at her comment.

"Sorry...I didn't mean anything by it," she replied quickly. "It was just that she had to have some skill to get on at all."

"Putting all that aside," Tseng cut in, "Aven, if you feel you're up to the task, and the Commander believes she has a chance, then from hence forth, she will be your trainee. Be sure to teach her well. It won't be beneficial to your standing if she were to die on her first solo mission."

Aven swallowed and nodded her head. "Understood, sir."

"Then you all are dismissed," he concluded.

* * *

Bianche was more than thrilled to know her performance earned her an interview for her new job. It would have been such a waste otherwise. It hadn't been easy sneaking away from home and onto a Shinra chopper with two Turks in order to apply. She knew doing so could have ended with her dying instead of being employed but she went with it anyway. She wouldn't doubt her parents, her mother especially, would be freaking out by this point.

Then again, how could anyone blame her? Now that she was nearing the age of eighteen, her father had talked about her getting married and began arranging meetings with possible suitors. Bianche did not want to settle down yet when there was still so much to do! Of course when her parents asked her what it was she wanted to do, she'd failed to come up with an immediate answer. And then the day came when people from Shinra came to her home. At first this didn't surprise her. Her father held several businesses with Shinra, allowing her to live a rather privileged lifestyle. They were there to find out if there were any illegal transactions going through his company that could potentially put weapons in the hands of anti-shinra groups.

Bianche didn't know much about the Turks other than they were highly valued within Shinra. It had been a hard choice to make, but in the end, she went against her parents' plans for her. She wanted more for her future than marriage and a sit down desk job. She needed excitement, adventure. The least she could do was see what the Turks had to offer. So, while they were chatting with her father, she made her decision and went for it slipping onto their chopper.

Oh but how she hated waiting, and it seemed she was doing an awful lot of that. It felt like forever since she'd been placed in a dingy waiting room and asked to wait patiently until someone came to get her.

The door was thrown open harshly, the girl jumping in spite of herself. A red headed Turk bounded into the room, his mannerisms on the very cusp of street urchin. One glance at him was enough for her to know that he was the type her father would never approve of her dating… which was fine enough for her. Following him into the room was a sharp dressed bald man wearing sunglasses. He had been one of the men that had gone to see her father but she never got to get a good enough look at him. Now that she was, she perked up at the sight of him, a sneaky smile coming to her face. Her father should have sent her here if he wanted her to get married so bad because…she was certain that she just found her future ex-husband.

"Are you the Turk candidate?" the red head asked her. Bianche turned to him and nodded her head. "Alright, if you're ready, we'll take you up to meet the boss."

Bianche quickly stood up from her seat. She was more than ready. She'd been ready before she even got there. She followed them silently down the hall and out of the room. She couldn't help but take quick glances at the bald man to her right. There was just something so incredibly sexy and mysterious. She wanted to know if his hair grew out black like his facial hair and what color his eyes were under his dark shades.

He looked over at her, his dark brow furrowing when he caught her staring. "What?" He asked, his voice flat as always.

The girl smiled up at him. "Just admiring the scenery."

Reno's cough did nothing to hide the snorting laugh that was threatening to escape. How cute was that? His partner had an admirer. He almost pitied the girl, however. Despite being surprisingly popular with woman, Rude wasn't the type who really responded to flirtatious advances. He was far too reserved and shy, and many girls mistook that for rudeness, no pun intended of course. Reno wasn't sure though if the girl was Rude's type, if the big man even had one.

Rude remained silent in response to the girl's comment, but he was wise as to what was going on. He only hoped the girl was as eager to do her job well as she was to flirt.

After a trip up the elevator and down another hallway, the two men stopped in front of a door. "Well, here we are," Reno said. "The commander's office. I'd give you some tips but I'd probably get in trouble. Just be yourself, yeah?"

"As if I could be anything less," Bianche responded with a broad smile, her confidence outweighing the small spark of nervousness she felt.

"Atta girl," Reno said with a laugh. He knocked on the door and after a few moments the lock clicked and he pushed the door open but did not go inside. "Your show now. Good luck."

Bianche was a little disappointed she'd be going in alone. But hey, if she ended up getting the job, she at least knew that she might get to see more of Mr. Strong and Silent. Stepping past them and walking inside the office, the door shut behind her.

An older man was sitting at the large desk waiting patiently for her. Her interviewer and soon to be boss, Veld. "You're Miss Bianche Laine, is that correct?"

She nodded, her throat closing up tight for a brief moment. She coughed and drew herself up to her full height. "Yes, sir. A pleasure to meet you."

"Indeed. Please sit down," he told her motioning to a chair near his desk.

Bianche gracefully walked over and settled herself in, her posture erect and brimming with assurance.

"First off, I thought I ought to mention that we received a phone call from your father, Mr. Laine," he began.

Bianche's heart sank and her body nearly folded under the weight of his words. No… had she lost her chance before she even started?

"He has requested that Shinra send you back home or else he'd cease all business with us," Veld continued on, only making Bianche's dread grow. "However…. I'm willing to ignore this threat and continue the interview depending on your answer to this one question."

"Yes, sir?" she asked eagerly, seizing the last thread of hope she had.

Veld leaned forward, his gray hawk like eyes meeting hers. "What drove you to sneak away from home and apply as a candidate for the Turks?"

"I needed to do something for myself sir, not what my family wanted me to do. I was born for this, to be a Turk, not to sit at home and be a wife that gives her husband sons. I want to fight…to be the best that I can possibly be. If I can't be that then I might as well not be living."

Veld was quiet for a moment, his hands clasped in front of his face as he considered her answer. It wasn't often that the Turks got willing volunteers in their ranks. He still wasn't sure though if it was really for her or just a way to stick it to her dad.

"I have always been given everything that I wanted and never had to work for anything. In the end it meant nothing to me because I didn't earn it. I want to earn it, to do it on my own. I don't care what my dad thinks. He doesn't want me to become a Turk, but I want to be a Turk. It's really the only thing I truly wanted."

Bianche held her breath after that. She had bared her soul to him, now all she could do was wait for his decision. After several moments of holding the older man's gaze, he at last leaned back in his seat, a small smile appearing on his worn lips.

"Alright, you convinced me," Veld told her.

Bianche could have jumped up and cheered with relief but she didn't. It was just as well because his next line once again set her on edge.

"Now impress me."

* * *

CM: Yay! We have another Turk! In case any of you didn't catch it, this is Shotgun. How will she fair? We'll soon see. Hope you enjoyed. :)


	30. When hell freezes over

**Chapter 30: When hell freezes over**

The apartment was silent when Aven woke up and found that the redhead was no where to be found. Looking over at the clock, she discovered that it was 9 in the morning, meaning she'd slept in. She took a moment to look around her apartment and found her phone under one of the couch cushions where Reno had thought it amusing to hide. In an instant she discovered a single message left on her phone and groaned believing it to be a reprimand for not having answered the call.

After listening to it though, she felt much better. It turned out that after her last mission the day before she was given the day off. Sighing in relief she dropped the phone back onto the couch before heading into the kitchen for some breakfast. She found out very quickly that her box of Choco-cocos was empty meaning the redhead had helped himself that morning. Instead she grabbed a bit of bread and made herself a sandwich instead. While munching on her food, she glanced over at the calender hanging on her fridge to see what day it was. She was surprised to see that the day was actually something rather special.

Immediately she began planning how she'd celebrate the day since she didn't have to work. A surprise was in the making and she'd make sure it went off without a hitch. There was only one problem with her plan, but she figured it couldn't be that hard to figure out and quickly changed into civilian clothes. Before she left, she scrolled through the names on her phone for someone who may be able to help. Eventually, she settled on the one new name to her list. Might as well make use of her new status. With that decided she charged out the door as ideas flitted through her excited mind.

* * *

Meanwhile, across the ocean at a well maintained trading depot, Reno slowly made his way into the building. He had to slip through the halls, drawing as little attention as possible. Eventually he made it into a small records room. "Hey Rude, I made it," he said into his earpiece. "So, what exactly am I looking for in here again?"

"You slept through the briefing again," Rude accused shaking his head. The bald Turk was sitting in a van a few blocks away to avoid being spotted.

"Eh, those things are boring anyway," Reno replied waving away the comment.

"You're looking for evidence on the illegal weapons trading," the bald Turk explained. "We've been tracking them for weeks now."

"Right, right." Reno began pulling open filing cabinets, searching for any records that could prove useful. "Isn't the supposed offender one of the previous heads of the weapons departments that got canned or something?"

"Yes," Rude affirmed. "Randal Corwin. He worked directly under Scarlet in weapons development."

"Sucks to be him. No wonder he left." After some skimming he shut the cabinets and moved to the bookshelves. "I'm betting she fired him cuz he refused to sleep with her."

There came a grunted reply. After several more minutes of searching, Reno sighed. "I don't think what we're looking for is in here, buddy."

"There are three others," Rude muttered over the com.

"Seriously?!" Reno exclaimed. There was a soft grunt on the other end and the redhead groaned. "This is gonna take forever. I need some sort of incentive to get this finished." Rude heard the comment and hoped he wasn't thinking what he thought he was thinking. "Got it, how about once we're finished here we pay your sister a visit."

"No," Rude answered immediately.

"Oh, come on. It's my birthday," Reno whined as he locked up the records and headed out the door.

"We're on a mission," Rude reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah I got it," Reno muttered in irritation. "Don't want to bring this stuff to her door again. But still it's been so long!"

Rude released another noncommittal grunt. Reno knew the guy didn't like talking about what had happened in the past, especially where his younger sibling was concerned. The red head poked his head out to check for guards before grabbing his mop and bucket and began casually, but quietly strolling down the hall. The janitorial outfit was very baggy on his lanky frame and he had to keep adjusting the large cap atop his head.

He navigated his way to the second room, avoiding cameras in the process, and picked the lock. It came open easily and he slipped soundlessly inside.

"Seriously though, man, you should at least pop in to say hello," Reno commented as he clicked on his flashlight.

"We write, that's enough," Rude grumbled with a voice that said the matter was closed. Reno shrugged his shoulders as he searched through the second room.

Again he found nothing of importance, and it was the same with the third room. As he exited the third room, he let loose a few profanities in his irritation. "There's got to be somewhere else they'd keep that information," he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

He heard a shuffling noise on the other end and knew that Rude was going through their information to see if he could find another plausible location. Before he could get an answer though, he spotted a marked door off to his left.

"Hold that thought buddy, I think I just found our answer," he chuckled lightly as he easily picked the lock on the door and slipped inside.

"Where are you?" Rude asked curiously.

"Where else? The office of the manager himself," Reno answered with a triumphant laugh.

As he stepped towards the office, he paused when a faint noise reached his ears. Footsteps, followed by the sound of keys jangling. He glanced around and through the crack at the bottom of the door he could see the shadow of feet. He glanced around, searching for a place to hide. Sad thing about filing offices, all the prime hiding spots were already filled. He heard the scraping of a key being slid into a lock and he slipped behind the door just as it swung open. The lights flipped on and Reno had to squint his eyes from the sudden brightness. He stayed crouched behind the door, cautiously peeking out to see who had entered the room. It was a male larger than Rude in size. He wore the same uniform as Reno, except his was almost too small from the looks of it.

He watched the guy kick the door closed without turning around before he began cleaning around the different filing cabinets and desk. Reno was amazed the man hadn't noticed him yet, but it was clear he was completely focused on his work...and he knew it wasn't the cleaning.

"Heh, looks like I'm not the only one looking for something," he chuckled catching the attention of the larger man. The other janitor dressed man stood up suddenly and glared at Reno.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded harshly.

"Same as you pal," Reno answered with a big grin. "And I don't mean cleaning up this mess. So, who are you working for?"

The older man stared at Reno, as if he recognized him but couldn't for the life of him remember where. Reno had the same feeling. The guy seemed familiar somehow, but it was hard to tell with all the fuzz growing along the guy's jaw.

"Stay out of this, kid," the guy said finally rubbing a thumb under his nose. His manner wasn't threatening but it did carry a hefty warning. "Just go home and pretend you didn't see anything."

Then it clicked. "Hey! I remember you. Detective James, right?"

"It's Jamison," the man corrected, frowning. "And how would you know that?"

Reno folded his hands behind his head, grinning widely. "Aww, come on, Rickie, you don't remember me? Though to be honest I almost didn't recognize you with the beard."

The man stared at him non-plussed for a few moments before his frown deepened. "Reno..." Richter Jamison, one of the more notorious detectives on the Costa Del Sol investigation team. "Look I've got enough trouble just trying to get this information I don't need a Turk making it more complicated," he muttered straightening up and crossing his large arms across his chest.

"Awe, you don't sound too happy to see me," Reno laughed. "And here I thought we were becoming buddies."

"Just beat it, this is my case Turk," the detective said harshly.

"There's a problem with that though, isn't there," Reno pointed out. "Your boys don't know you're here do they?"

Richter's ears turned red as his frown turned into a scowl. Reno nodded. "Thought as much. You're gonna get in pretty big trouble one of these days if you keep playing the vigilante."

"I don't need a kid telling me how to do my job," was the heated retort.

Reno lifted his hands up. "Hey, props man. I respect a guy who's willing to do a little dirty work in order to get something done. Especially when all the higher ups wanna do is sit on their asses smokin' a cigar and arguing politics all day." He extended a hand. "So whaddya say to a truce? We might be able to help each other out."

Richter glared at him for a bit longer. Before he could make a decision though, someone stepped into the office and nearly dropped their coffee in surprise. "Hey, what do you know? Just the guy we were wanting to see," Reno greeted turning to face the newcomer. "How's it been Randal? Must be good, since you've been so busy."

"R-Reno!" the man stuttered in fear. "What does a Shinra Turk want here?"

"What else?" Reno asked taking the hat off and tossing it across the room. "You've been bad lately. About time we cleared this up."

"No, Reno, you're not clearing anything up," Randal grunted clutching his drink. "You, hold him." He pointed at Richter and ordered firmly.

Richter did so and Reno didn't fight back. "You forget Turk, Shinra or not, this is my company," Randal taunted. "Everyone here acts on my orders."

"Maybe everyone here...but this ain't your company. Or did you forget about your boss Mr. Laine," Reno shot back. "He's pretty pissed that someone decided to use his company for smuggling."

"Haven't a clue what you mean," Randal said striding over to Reno. He fished through his jacket a few moments before drawing out his wired communication device. With a rough jerk he snapped the chord, severing the connection.

"Yeesh, couldn't even bother to get me flowers first?" the red head snarked.

Reno could give it to him, the guy was smart. Not only did he sever Reno's direct communication with his partner, but he was also refusing to fess up to anything in front of him or the believed janitor currently holding him. Of course, he had worked within Shinra a good number of years.

Randal dismissed Reno's remark. "I am a man of good business. I've found a happy little niche to occupy and and I won't let Shinra ruin that for me."

"Too bad, it's already been ruined," Reno snickered as the guy pulled away. The business man looked him over closely as Reno slowly took a couple steps to the left. It didn't seem to register with the company manager what was happening until the other janitor moved to the right.

"Wait, what's..." he started say, but Reno shot forward and knocked the guy off his feet in a matter of seconds. The fall alone caused the man to hit his head, falling unconscious.

"Heh, I knew these big wigs were easy, but I always forget just how easy," Reno laughed nudging the unconscious manager with his foot. "Anyway, this guy's stuff is probably in here so why don't we find it and get the hell out of here."

"At this point, it's either find something worthwhile or I can kiss my job good bye," Richter muttered, bringing out his cuffs and locking Randal's hands behind his back.

"I don't get why you're still working there," Reno commented as he began pulling drawers open. "You're boss is a dick."

"I happen to like my job," the bigger man answered as he dragged the business man out of the way and setting him against the far wall. "If I can protect others and make sure that scumbags like this guy aren't getting away with murder, then I'm happy."

"Yeah, you wanna be the big hero." Reno flipped through a file folder before setting it aside. "Defender of the weak and all that, I get it."

"Better than being a dog of Shinra that does whatever they're told," Richter shot back. "Murder, assassination, espionage, theft, all crimes that none of you ever pay for. Not exactly the career of heroes."

"Haha, yeah we're not what you'd call heroes," Reno laughed in agreement. "But we do make sure dirt bags like this get what's comin' to them...without all the red tape."

"Funny." Richter mumbled as he pulled out the last folder in his cabinet. "Found it."

Reno walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, good work," he congratulated slapping the guy on the shoulder. "Looks like we can get out of here now. Rude's probably having a field day since this bastard ripped my earpiece to shreds."

The red head turned his head when he heard a slight shuffling noise and looked over to see Randal shuffling towards his desk. "Oh no you don't," Reno said moving towards him. Not fast enough though. Randal kicked out with his foot, hitting a button underneath the desk. The next moment the alarm was blaring, a red emergency light over head blinking. "Aw, dammit it all," he muttered.

"Good luck getting out now you…" Randal began but Reno kicked him across the face, knocking him out again.

"Hey, Rickie, think you can carry this guy?"

"No problem," Richter answered easily lifting the man over his shoulder.

"Alright, time to blow this popsicle stand!" Reno shouted slipping the folder into his jacket as the two of them flew out the door and down the hall.

They didn't get very far before they ran into the company guards. Reno didn't think too much of them though. They were huge hulking men with bulging muscles that seemed to fill the whole hallway.

"This isn't going to be easy," Richter grumbled tightening his hold on their captive.

"Sure it will be," Reno replied with a laugh. "These guys look tough, but their all muscle. They've got no skills."

Reno whipped out his baton, glancing over at the agent with a grin. "You gonna be alright, old man?"

Richter snorted brushing his thumb under his nose with his free hand. "Don't take me lightly, kid."

Meanwhile, outside, Rude was sitting on pins and needles. He wasn't sure what was going on inside. He'd lost connection with his partner, then several minutes later the alarm had been sounded. It wouldn't be long before dispatch sent out Costa's police force. He rubbed his forehead, the obnoxious buzz of the alarm taunting him. It would have been nice to just get in and out without all the fuss. He kept a keen eye out, waiting for the Reno to show himself. He heard his phone go off and opened it to see a message from the red head.

"Fire escape."

As soon as he received the message, he threw the van into gear and drove off towards the back fire escape. When he reached it, he left the engine running and went to the van's back door opening it widely before returning to the driver's seat.

It felt like an eternity as he drummed on the steering wheel waiting for his partner to appear and expecting the police to show up at any moment. They were going to have some major explaining to do if they were found out. Then they'd be in a lot of trouble when they returned...What the hell happened in there?

Just as the buzzing alarm was making Rude's head want to explode, he spotted the red head jumping down the ladder of the fire escape followed by a much larger man wearing the same janitor uniform and carrying an unusually shaped bundle

Knowing that Reno would explain as soon as he got in, the bald Turk simply got his attention and pointed towards the back. Then he waited until both men were in the back before flooring it while the red head shouted, "GO GO GO GO GO!"

Rude peeled out of the area just in time to see the flashing red and blue lights in his rear view mirror. Thankfully no one pursued them so he was able to slip into the backgrounds and ease the van to a coast.

"Damn, if that wasn't a close shave," Reno hooted, crawling up into the front seat with the bald Turk. "Hey, Rude, you remember Rickie, yeah?"

Rude glanced at the rearview mirror where Richter was in sight and gave a brief nod before redirecting his gaze to the road.

"So you boys wanna explain what you're doing here?" Richter asked, tossing Randal into a corner of the van. "This is Costa business."

"Sorry, bud, but it's actually Shinra business," Reno corrected. "And we all know who'll win that game of political tug-o-war."

Rude gave the red head a warning look reminding him not to reveal too much. The redheaded Turk just shrugged in response and continued.

"See, this guy here's been getting weapons into Midgar to several different anti-Shinra groups," Reno explained slipping his hands behind his head. "We just needed enough proof and a few names to shut them all down."

"He's been doing his dealings here in Costa for months," Richter argued. "It should be left up to us to deal with him."

"And you guys have been doing such a great job of that," said Reno, throwing a cheeky thumbs-up.

"Don't start a fight," Rude warned him.

The red head gave a dismissive shrug but didn't press the issue.

"Anyway, the point is we got what we came for so we'll be getting out of your hair now," Reno said lazing back in his chair again. "We'll just let you out around the corner to the PD."

"That's fine," Richter agreed. "Just give me some of that information and we'll be good."

'Sure sure," Reno said waving his hand over his head. "It'd be a pain if you got booked because of a stunt like this after all."

"Your concern is heartwarming," Richter muttered sarcastically. "Just let me out here. I'll walk from here."

Rude stopped at the end of the neighborhood which edged the main city area and the detective got out. Reno went through the folder and selected what to keep and what they didn't really need but could still be considered useful in putting Randal away. He gave the latter to Richter.

"Just so you know, the Turks still have a few open spots if you're interested," he said as he handed the papers off.

"When hell freezes over," Richter answered.

Reno laughed and slapped the side of the van making Rude wince. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Maybe I'll head down there myself with some ice materia and do the honors myself."

"Tch, if anyone could do something that stupid it'd probably be you," Richter grumbled.

"Thanks, pal. Anyway, good luck with the heads of the PD," Reno told him, in his way of saying goodbye. "We'd hate for you to get canned before getting the chance to work with you again."

The detective waved one of his large hands. "Just get out of here, would you?"

Reno laughed once more before retreating back into the cab as Rude shifted the van in gear. They drove off, leaving the other man behind. The red head relaxed into the seat once more. "So… we got a little spare time. Maybe we could…"

"No," Rude said before he could finish.

"Aw, come on, you don't even know what I was gonna say."

"Fine. What?"

"I was going to say, maybe we could go visit Nina," Reno finished pleased that Rude let him.

"No." Rude's answer was very firm and severely irritated.

"Why not?" Reno demanded.

"I already explained it," Rude answered without looking away from the road. "Besides, we have to get this report back."

"Are you saying that on my birthday we have no extra time to pop in just to say hi?" Reno asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

The red head crossed his arms and blew out a puff of air, flipping a strand of hair to the other side of his face. "Geez, you're a real stiff sometimes, you know that?"

Rude grunted in reply.

Reno rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Let's go home then so we can file our reports and hit the bars."

The other nodded. "I'll buy."

Reno released a light laugh. Well, at least he had something to look forward to.

* * *

When the pair got back to Midgar, they gave their verbal reports to Tseng and turned in the folder of information. The second in command took a moment to read over the information before sending them on their way.

As they were leaving, Tseng stopped them for just a moment. "Reno...Happy Birthday."

Reno turned to look back at him. As busy as the guy always was, he somehow always seemed to remember little things like that. "You wanna wish me a happy birthday? Next time give me a damn day off instead of sending me on espionage."

"I apologize for that," Tseng conceded. "But it was a delicate mission. Only a fool would send less than their best."

Reno grinned at that but couldn't just leave it at that. "I get it...you really needed me for that one," he snickered.

"Yes," Tseng sighed. "Now why don't you get cleaned up before you do anything else. You stink."

"Yeah, yeah whatever," Reno replied cheerfully putting his hands behind his head. "We're going out drinkin' by the way, you should join us."

"I apologize, but I have a previous engagement," Tseng told him, a hint of a smile appearing in the corner of his mouth.

Reno raised an eyebrow but shrugged and headed out the door, Rude just behind him, neither catching sight of Tseng pulling out his phone to make a call. Then the two traveled down to the living area and to Reno's apartment.

"I won't be long, so if you want you can just chill on the couch until I'm done," Reno said to Rude as he slid his key into the lock. He pushed the door open and flicked the lights on.

The red head blinked, dumbfounded as he was suddenly sprayed with confetti. Some of it got into his mouth and he had to spit it out before taking a look around him. His entire living area had been decked out in party streamers. Balloons littered the entire floor and in the middle of the room was a large, hand painted banner that read in large bold letters HAPPY BIRTHDAY RENO. The rookies, Tryg, Estelle, and Bianche were there, as were Haruto and Cissnei.

"The hell?" He honestly couldn't believe it. "Dammit, guys, I told ya before I don't like celebrating my birthday."

"Believe me, it wasn't _our_ idea," Haruto assured him, leaning against the wall.

Reno looked closer at the people in his room until he found at the back someone fiddling with the oven. "She pulled us all together and even forced Tryg and Bianche to help with the decorations," Cissnei explained from his right as his eyes focused in on the person in the kitchen. It took him a few moments but he eventually realized it was Aven.

"Hey, this is your idea, aren't you going to say hi or something?" Tryg demanded grabbing a hold of the back of her shirt and dragging the younger Turk out of the kitchen.

"Wait, he's here already?" she exclaimed looking around. "But...but it's not finished yet!"

"What isn't?" Cissnei asked curiously.

"The..." Aven started to explain but suddenly there was a loud hissing from the kitchen and the sprinklers came on soaking everyone. They all looked at Aven who freaked out and rushed back into the kitchen turning off the oven and opening the door where a cloud of smoke came pouring out.

While everyone else was evacuating the room, Reno watched as she coughed and choked, waving her arms like a maniac to clear the smoke.

"Squirt, come on, just leave it," he said as the apartment rained water.

Aven wasn't listening though. She scrambled for a pair of oven mitts and pulled out a pan before running with it to the door while shielding it with her body. Reno followed her out into the hall where everyone else was.

"Honestly…" Tseng came walking down the hall towards them looking all but exasperated. "I'm absent for five minutes and I come down to find the apartment being flooded."

"Oh sure, act like it's a big inconvenience for YOU," Reno muttered. "It's MY damn apartment that's being rained on."

He heard a sniffle beside him and looked to see Aven still holding what was a burnt, smoking chocolate cake. "I'm sorry…" she murmured, her hair dripping water onto the cake's charred surface.

"Don't be," Reno sighed shaking his head. He still couldn't understand why she even did any of this.

"I can't help it," she mumbled dejectedly. "I did everything I could think of to try and throw you a cool birthday party and even make the cake myself...but now I ruined all of it. I should have just bought a cake instead."

"Why didn't you try that from the start?" Haruto asked slowly. He knew she was upset and was hoping that hearing her reason would help them make her feel better somehow. It was a nice attempt after all.

"Well...Reno made my cake and I wanted to return the favor," she answered after a few moments. "But...I've never used an oven before so...yeah. I'm sorry I ruined your cake...and your birthday."

Reno stared at her for several moments, then he started to laugh. "Aw, Squirt," he said, wrapping an arm around her and hugging her tightly against him. "You didn't ruin anything. This is probably the best birthday I ever had."

Everyone was a little bit confused by this, but none so much as Aven was. She stared up at him in disbelief. "Don't lie."

"I'm not," he said with another laugh. He gave her another squeeze before taking the cake from her and giving her head a light rub. "Thank you."

"You're not going to eat that are you?" Cissnei asked worriedly.

"Yeah...it's kind of burned...and soaked," Aven pointed out.

"Don't worry about it, squirt, it's perfect," he told her still laughing as he turned and went back into his bedroom.

"I fear what he plans to do with that," Estelle muttered once he was gone.

"Indeed, he seemed a bit too pleased to have that cake," Haruto agreed.

"Whatever...are we all done here? Can I go yet?" Tryg muttered in mild irritation. He really needed to go dry off before his clothes dried to his body.

"I've already called maintenance and had the water turned off," Tseng informed them. "As far as the party itself goes, I think it's safe to say it's been canceled."

Aven nodded in agreement. "Thanks for helping, everyone," she said softly. "Sorry it turned out like this."

The three newest recruits simply dispersed, none of them particularly satisfied with the outcome of the evening. Cissnei patted her on the shoulder. "It was a nice thought."

"Indeed," Haruto said, smiling. "Just… no need to bake a cake on my birthday."

Aven giggled a little, taking it in good humor. The two left so that it was just her, Rude, and Tseng. "It'll take a while to get the apartment cleaned up," the second in command commented thoughtfully. "He'll need to stay somewhere else until then."

"Well...he can use my couch if he wants to," Aven piped up nervously. "I mean...it is right next door so he'd have easy access to all his stuff."

"No," Rude told her shaking his head.

"Why not?" Aven asked confused. It made perfect sense to her, and it's not like he hadn't slept in her room before, though she wasn't about to admit that.

"It is inappropriate for a male to share a room with a female," Tsneg spoke up saving Rude from needing to explain. "Especially between colleagues it is highly looked down upon."

"I-I see," she stuttered lowering her head. "Then...where will he stay?"

"He'll room with me," Rude told her. "I'm used to living with him anyway."

Tseng nodded. "Very well. In the meantime I'll see about getting this taken care of." He wished the both of them a pleasant evening before departing to his office.

Aven sighed. "I guess I'm no good at planning these sorts of things. It was just one disaster after the other today."

Rude patted her on the head. "You made him happy."

She blushed, fiddling with her wet clothes. "You really think so?"

He nodded confidently. "He's never celebrated his birthday," he explained. "That grin he gave you was real."

"He...never celebrated his birthday?" she repeated in shock. "How come?" He gave her a look that clearly asked if she expected him to know. "Sorry, I'm just surprised. I've never known anyone who didn't like to celebrate it even a little. So then why was he happy about this?"

"Because I never thought you had it in you," Reno answered as he exited the room again. "Who'd have thought you'd actually go through all this just for me?"

"Don't get a big head about it," Aven muttered turning towards her door. "I was just repaying you for the effort you put into mine. I am glad you liked that fiasco though."

"Oh, I'll be remembering this for some time to come," he assured her. Reno it seemed had managed to find some dry clothes. Apparently his closet hadn't been amongst the casualties in his room. "Well, anyways, I got my shower. You ready to head out, Rude?"

The bald Turk nodded. He'd been the closest to the door, so he hadn't gotten as wet as everyone else. "Ready when you are."

"Alright, that just leaves the squirt then."

Aven looked at him, nonplussed. "What do you mean?"

"You're coming with us, aren't ya?" Reno said. "I mean, it's the least you could do after making me have to relocate."

Aven flushed, feeling both guilty and angry. "That wasn't… I didn't mean…"

"Come on, we'll continue the party out on the town," he told her wrapping an arm around her wet shoulders. "You wanted a party right?"

"Well...yeah but..." she tried to say unable to think of what he was getting at. Besides, she was sure he meant they were going drinking and she wasn't allowed yet, they kicked her out of the last bar she went into.

"You won't be drinking," Rude told her seriously.

"Naw, but after all this you definitely need a pick me up," Reno cut in dragging her along.

"I should at least dry off," Aven piped up trying to fight out of his hold but failing.

"We don't have time," he told her urgently. "And you'll just dry off along the way." Aven sighed and resigned herself to being dragged off. Still, she was happy that he was happy...and that they could continue the party.

Reno honestly wasn't one for big celebrations, especially when it came to his own birthday. He certainly hadn't expected to come home to one either. All he really needed was some quality time with the few people he enjoyed spending it with. Even so, the fact that the squirt had gone through the trouble was a gift in of itself.

* * *

CM: D'awww, wasn't that just sweet? We're getting pretty close to the end of the year, which also means the end of the story. I wonder how smoothly it'll go. ;P Thanks for reading and please review.


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